Choke Hold
by CrazyOldLady
Summary: In the town of Requiem, an evil ruler has quashed the spirit of the villagers. One crazy fox wishes to tip the balance of power in his favour...Will he succeed?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

His paws ached, his back throbbed. Another day on the market, and not a single customer. It wasn't as if he didn't understand. Since Tortimer had passed away, there had been some big changes in Requiem. So big, in fact, that it was hard for certain residents to eke out a living. The reason was simple. The new mayor had transformed Requiem from a peaceful village to a violent dictatorship. From the beginning of his rule, the new mayor put into place several laws which restricted the freedoms of every villager that was not part of his regime.

The members of his regime sported colourful arm bands, each one displaying an extravagant rendering of the letter "N". The N was meant to represent one thing: Nookist.

The Nookists were feared throughout all of Requiem. They were infamous for their quick tempers and violence. The aching market vendor was constantly evading the Nookists, for he knew that the only registered store in Requiem was Nookington's. All other stores were forbidden. If someone chose to open up shop anywhere in Requiem, they would be banished for eternity. So each week, under the cover of darkness, the market vendor slid his flyers under the doors of his faithful customers, forever terrified that he would be detained by the merciless Nook.

He often questioned why he was so dedicated to opening his shop each week. Deep in his heart he knew the answer. The townspeople deserved the opportunity to choose which store they would shop at, and that simple liberty had been stripped of them. Unfortunately, if the townspeople were caught shopping anywhere but Nookington's, they would be arrested and interrogated without mercy. Which is why each week, nary a customer entered the vendor's small shop.

Life was not easy for Crazy Redd.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Redd's eyes widened as he approached his small bungalow. A yellow sheet of paper had been nailed to his front door. With a shaking paw, Redd reached forward, tearing the paper from the door. Printed on the paper, in large red block letters, was the word that Redd had feared he'd see: "EVICTED". Beneath the word, toward the lower left corner of the page, the following was written in fine print: "by order of his royal majesty, King Tom Nook".

"What?!" he cried. "This can't be! I've made regular payments to Nook, and I've given him no reason to kick me out of my home." Redd threw the paper to the ground angrily.

"What did you expect?" came a voice to his right. Redd turned in place to find his neighbor Portia leaning in her doorway, her arms folded across her chest. "He knows darn well that you're still running your shop, he just doesn't have proof. So what better way to stop you in your tracks than to make you homeless." Although her words were harsh, Portia wasn't without sympathy. She too felt the sting of Nook's iron-fisted ruling. She was once regarded as the town's fashionista. Nowadays she sported tattered rags, the only garments she could afford on her low paying job.

"This is insane," Redd yelped incredulously. "He can't get away with this! Where am I supposed to go?"

Portia shrugged a shoulder. "Well, there's a new kid in town. You could always see if you could shack up with him."

Redd chewed on the inside of his cheek, several thoughts spinning through his mind at once. Should he befriend the new townie? Could he be trusted? What choice did he have?

"What's his name?" asked Redd.

"Adam," replied Portia. "I heard he's a bit of a free spirit. I'm not sure how long he'll last in Requiem. Who knows, maybe you can take over his house if the kid suddenly runs off or gets killed by one of those insane Nookists." Portia chortled.

"Maybe I'll pay him a visit," Redd said. "What else am I going to do? Unless you're offering to let me stay the night at your house?" he raised an eyebrow.

Portia growled. "I don't think so!" She spun on her heel, slamming the door behind her as she re-entered her house.

Redd grinned impishly and wandered into the darkness in search of their newest town resident.

* * *

Weeds had all but choked the life out of the landscape in the lower parts of Requiem. Here the houses were much smaller, and not nearly as sturdy as the mansions adorning the upper sections of town. Redd, with his hands in his pockets, trudged along a dirt path. He wondered idly if he would be setting up shop the next day, or if he should admit defeat and ask Nook for his house in return. Deep in thought, he didn't hear the approach of two burly Nookists. Redd bumped into them unceremoniously and was shaken from his reverie. Cesar and Chuck stood before him, the two most nefarious Nookists in all of Requiem. They eyed him malevolently.

"State your business," grunted Chuck.

"I'm just out to visit a friend," Redd replied. "You guys kicked me out of my house, so I need to find a place to stay."

"It's past curfew!" Cesar growled. "Anyone who breaks curfew is subject to arrest and interrogation. Not necessarily in that order." He sneered.

The two Nookists advanced on Redd, their fingers curling into fists. Cesar grabbed Redd by the scruff of the neck. He pulled back his arm, ready to hammer his fists down onto Redd.

"He's with me!" called out a voice from behind them. Cesar quickly released Redd, who fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. They turned toward the source of the voice. A young boy stood before them. His eyes were the colour of jade, and his hair was as black as tar. He gave the Nookists a lopsided grin.

"Who're you?" asked Chuck.

"I'm Adam," replied the boy. "And it just so happens that I have in my possession a pass that allows me to wander the streets of Requiem past the designated curfew. I need to get accustomed to my surroundings. At least that's what King Nook said; and I do believe the pass extends to anyone accompanying me."

Chuck and Cesar looked from Adam to Redd, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, they relented and went on their way, but not before kicking some dirt onto Redd as he lay on the ground.

Adam knelt beside Redd, helping him to his feet.

"Why did you do that?" asked Redd.

"Do what?" Adam tilted his head to one side.

"Why did you save me from those goons? You don't even know me."

Adam shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I just don't like bullies. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Redd," came Redd's reply. He extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Adam shook Redd's hand. "So, is it true what you said to them? You need a place to stay? Because, I don't want to sound forward, but you're welcome to stay with me."

Redd felt the heat rising to his face. Had it not been covered in fur, he knew he'd be as red as a tomato. "That'd be great actually. I hate having to mooch off of someone, but I'm kind of desperate."

Adam smiled. "Then it's decided. My house is the one with the blue roof right near the beach. I don't have much room, but I'm sure we'll make do. Follow me."

Redd nodded and followed Adam in the direction of the beach. For the first time in a while, he felt like his luck was finally changing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

King Nook yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He leaned back in his throne, watching with growing boredom as the court jester, Lyle, attempted to entertain him.

"For my next trick, folks, I'm gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat!" Lyle reached into a top hat and produced...a frog. "BANG! Oh, wait, that's not right..." Sweat began to bead on Lyle's forehead.

Nook rolled his eyes and motioned to one of his guards. "Take this fool to the holding chambers. He's giving me a headache." The holding chambers were where Nook kept his servants. They were similar to a dungeon, where the acrid stench of fear hung in the air. Without skipping a beat, two members of Nook's royal guard, Rasher and Truffles, escorted Lyle from the royal chambers.

The king climbed off of his throne and wandered toward the dining hall. He sighed contentedly as he took in the prodigious spread of food set upon the table. Since he'd taken control of Requiem, Nook had indulged in every bit of extravagance a life of royalty had to offer. This included gorging himself on rich foods. Within a matter of months, Nook had almost doubled in girth. The extra weight did not suit him, and it was a struggle for the members of his royal council not to point and laugh in his direction. He had just begun to nibble on a croissant when his most trusted friend, Gaston, entered the room.

"Sire," Gaston bowed his head demurely. "Katrina has arrived. She awaits your majesty in the library. I'm afraid that she has...altered the decor to fit her needs."

Nook nodded his assent. "Very well. I will join her momentarily." Gaston bowed and exited. King Nook hurried to the library as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. He'd been waiting for quite some time for Katrina to arrive. She was known throughout the land to be a powerful psychic, able to foretell the future with a mere glimpse into her crystal ball. Nook was anxious to find out if his rule over Requiem would continue to be as successful as it had been thus far.

As he opened the double doors to the library, the faint scent of incense wafted to his nostrils. He inhaled the heady aroma, and entered the room. Katrina sat at a large round table made of dark cherry wood. She was dressed in violet silk robes that hung loosely on her slight frame. On the table was the infamous crystal ball. Though it was made of crystal, it seemed to be filled with mist, where beneath each layer Nook's fate would be revealed. Katrina pointed to the seat at the opposite end of the table; Nook sat down with a grunt.

"I understand you wish to know what lies ahead..." Katrina murmured.

"Yes," Nook replied. "I want to know how long I will be in power. I also want to know if my kingdom will expand to an even grander scale."

Katrina licked her lips, her eyes fell shut. She placed both paws on the crystal ball. She began to mutter incantations under her breath, and to Nook's absolute horror, the mist within the crystal ball began to shift, taking shape into something even less recognizable than it had previously been. Katrina's eyelids shot open, her pupils had become mere pinpoints despite the dim lighting of the room. Her body began to tremble, yet she kept a firm grasp of the crystal ball.

"You shall remain ruler of Requiem until the day you day," she rasped. Nook resisted the urge to squeal delightedly. "Hundreds will be in awe of your power, they will worship you without question...Until..."

Nook's eyes widened, fear began to bubble up from within. "Until what?" he cried.

Katrina screeched and leapt across the table, her fingers digging into the sides of Nook's face. The crystal ball fell to the floor and shattered, the fragments spilling forth a spectrum of colors produced by invisible light. Katrina's lips pressed against Nook's ear, "_Nex vulpes volpes_," she hissed. Nook cringed and shoved her away. She fell to the ground; her breathing was shallow and ragged.

Gaston burst into the room, alerted by the commotion. "Your highness, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Nook shook his head with disgust. "I'm fine. Get this heretic out of here." he spat. "She will be sent into exile, where she will not have any contact with the residents of Requiem. Do not let her speak to anyone."

Gaston nodded. "As you wish sire." He rushed from the room to fetch a guard to help him drag Katrina to the dungeon. Once she had been moved, Nook retreated to his room. He shed his royal vestments and climbed into a nightgown. No one could discover what Katrina had revealed. If anyone were to get wind of what she'd said, his entire regime would be in jeopardy. Her words echoed in his head.

_Nex vulpes volpes_.

Violent death fox.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Redd's eyes fluttered open. He squinted briefly as the morning sun filtered in through the blind-covered windows. He let out a great yawn, his arms stretching out over his head. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight he suddenly became aware of the delicious aroma drifting into his room. Redd hopped out of bed and slid into a blue terrycloth robe that hung on the back of the bedroom door. He followed the scent into the kitchen where he found a petite pink poodle bent over a boiling pot of what he could only assume to be porridge (based on the smell). She stirred the porridge with a wooden spoon then brought it to her lips.

"Hi Harriet," Redd greeted.

Harriet yelped, the spoon fell from her grasp and landed on the floor. "Oh shug, you scared the daylights out of me! What are you doing, sneakin' up on old girls like me!"

Redd sauntered over to Harriet. He picked up the wooden spoon and rinsed it in the sink. "Now Harriet, we both know that there's no way anyone would consider you an old girl."

Harriet blushed and took the spoon from Redd. "Flattery will get you nuthin' but a big bowl of porridge, shug. Now take a seat and I'll serve some up for ya." She scooped some porridge into a bowl and placed it on the kitchen table. Redd sat down and began to spoon his breakfast into his mouth.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Redd asked between spoonfuls.

Harriet shrugged a shoulder. "Nook raised my rent at Shampoodles, so I had to shut down. I've been doing jobs as a housekeeper just to stay afloat."

"Sounds like Nook's making everyone's lives miserable. He just evicted me." Redd grunted.

"I heard," Harriet replied. "Just be glad there are still good folks like Adam out there, shug."

As if by cue, Adam ambled through the front entrance. He hung his coat on a nearby hook and kicked off his boots. "Hey you're up!" he smiled at Redd. "Sorry I wasn't around, I had some stuff to take care of." He took the seat opposite Redd. Harriet bustled over to the porridge pot and scooped out another bowl for Adam. She set it down in front of him.

"Don't worry about it." Redd said. "I just got up anyway."

Adam nodded, swallowing a spoonful of porridge. "So I meant to ask you something...The other day, you said you didn't like to mooch off of people. Now, I don't mean any offense by this, but I heard differently."

Harriet giggled as she began to wash the pot clean. "Redd's chickens are coming home to roost."

Redd rolled his eyes. "As silly as she sounds, she's right. I used to be quite the swindler. Back before Nook was king I had a little operation set up. It was pretty exclusive. A 'members only' type thing. I offered some pretty rare merchandise, and I wasn't shy about charging an arm and a leg for it either. The problem is, I had a habit of tossing in some...knock offs."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Knock offs?"

"I sold paintings among other items. The thing is, some of those paintings were forgeries. Back then I was good friends with a guy named Lyle. He was an insurance agent and would sell special insurance to people protecting them from buying forged merchandise. They'd receive 100 bells if they accidentally bought a phony painting. The thing is, the insurance cost a few thousand bells. On top of that, Lyle would get a cut from what I made off of the goof buying the phony merchandise. Needless to say, we were not the most popular of individuals." Redd explained.

"So why did you stop?" asked Adam.

Redd shrugged. "Once Nook came into power, Lyle and I were arrested. He was later forced into being Nook's personal court jester. I was sentenced to spend 5 years in the Requiem dungeon. Which, of course, wasn't added until Nook took over. Regardless, anyone spending more than a day in the dungeon can tell you that it seriously changes your perspective. All of that pain, all of the suffering. When I was released, I had nightmares for months. Now I don't want to have any part in causing pain to anyone if I can help it. I know what kind of damage it does." Redd's gaze fell to the floor, his eyes became glassy with tears.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," Adam murmured.

Redd shook his head, "You know, part of me is glad for witnessing all of those horrors. If I hadn't maybe I'd have never straightened out. Who knows?" Redd pushed his bowl aside. "By the way, I wanted to ask you a question as well."

"Shoot," Adam replied.

"Why did you have that special pass from Nook? Usually those are reserved for residents that have some kind of close relationship with him." Redd eyed Adam suspiciously.

"Oh that thing," Adam chuckled. "It's weird, really. When I bought my house, Nook went completely out of his way to make sure I saw him as this great guy. I saw right through him obviously. I'm not blind. I can see the filth that the people of Requiem have to live in. He gave me that pass because he knew darn well one of his toadies would eventually try and give me trouble. I think he wanted to impress me because I'm human." Adam snorted. "Like that makes a difference. Some humans I know act more like animals than anyone I've met in Requiem."

"I wonder why that would matter so much to him? I didn't know Nook was such a fan of humans," Redd frowned, leaning back in his chair.

"Who knows why Nook thinks the way he does, shug," Harriet piped in. "Maybe he knew that Adam here would take you into his home, and he wanted someone to spy on you, so Nook was trying to get onto Adam's good side."

Redd folded his arms over his chest. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that was exactly his plan. If that's the case, he's got another thing coming. Adam, why don't you pay our buddy Nook a visit. See what kind of info you can find. Would you be willing to do that?"

Adam grinned. "No problem. I've been dying for some excitement."

Harriet giggled. "Then you'd better buckle up, shug. 'Cause with Redd, you can't go a day without something crazy happening!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Timmy lay back against his four poster bed. He'd spent the past three hours drawing, and his sketchpad now lay strewn across his floor. His paws were raw and covered with charcoal. He inhaled deeply. When the spells took over it was impossible for him to deny the urges. Ever since he'd been a cub of 4 his mother had made sure that Timmy always had a pencil and paper on hand should one of his trances come over him. Timmy didn't know why he suffered from these odd spells, he only knew that they could not be denied; and when he'd felt one coming on earlier in the evening, he made sure that he was safe in his room. Timmy gazed wearily at the sketchbook lying on his bedroom floor. He had yet to take in the images he had scribbled onto the cream colored pages. With a great deal of apprehension he scooted to the edge of the bed. He reached down with a shaky paw and lifted the sketchbook from the ground. He began flipping through the pages, past the sketches of natural disasters, the portraits of long lost loved ones. It wasn't until he reached his most recent etching that his breath caught in his throat.

"What're you doing?" came a voice from the doorway.

Timmy nearly jumped out of his skin. He shoved his sketchbook under the mattress of his bed, concealing it from his twin brother who had just entered the room.

"Nothing Tommy," Timmy said nervously. "I just had a stomach ache. I came up here to lie down."

Tommy smirked. "Maybe you wouldn't get so many stomach aches if you actually took some time to take care of yourself." Tommy sashayed over to his side of the room that he shared with Timmy. He gazed at his reflection in the regal vanity and smiled at what he saw. He began to flex in front of the mirror.

Ever since their uncle Tom had taken over, Timmy had begun to notice some changes in his twin brother. Tommy had once been a kind and sensitive being who went out of his way to help others whenever necessary. Lately, however, he'd become so consumed with his newfound fame that he'd become extraordinarily vain. He spent countless hours in the gym, sculpting his body into what he deemed to be a perfect specimen of raccoon masculinity. Timmy couldn't help but roll his eyes every time that he saw Tommy gawking at himself in the mirror. Timmy was now Tommy's exact opposite. He was introverted and soft spoken, excelling in his studies as well as his preferred form of expression, the arts.

"Not everyone is as in love with themselves as you are, Tommy." Timmy grumbled, shifting awkwardly on his bed.

Tommy shrugged. "Hey, it's your loss. I'll be the one with all of the female attention. No one likes an artsy nerd." he scoffed.

Timmy jerked his gaze to the floor, his eyes filling with tears. His brother's comment had stung him badly. Recently, Timmy had grown fond of a girl in town. He had written poems, drawn portraits of her; he had even composed a song about her. He had truly been smitten. One evening, Tommy discovered the love poems that Timmy had written, and as a cruel prank he had shown the poems to the girl that Timmy fancied. Timmy had been present as she read the poems, and his heart had torn in half when she'd started to laugh. Timmy would never forgive Tommy for putting him through such humiliation.

"Why don't you just get out," Timmy whispered angrily.

"Fine," Tommy replied. He wandered out of the shared bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

When Timmy was sure that his brother was far enough away from their room, he reached beneath his mattress and extracted the sketchbook. He flipped back to the drawing he'd just completed while under one of his spells. He took in every detail.

The drawing obviously depicted a field of some sort. On the right hand side of the page was a large oak tree, withered with age. Leaves covered the haphazardly sketched grass, the wind had obviously shaken them from the branches of the oak. In the center of the field was a group of people. The drawing lacked the detail required to distinguish the identities of the people, however Timmy couldn't help but feel as though these figures were somehow familiar to him.

Finally, Timmy's eyes halted at the part of the image that had caused his heart to race. It was the object that the people were gathered around. This was obviously the focus of the entire drawing, for it lay in the dead center. It loomed above the circle of people, casting them in shadow. It was a large, gray stone in the shape of a rectangular prism. Timmy's eyes widened further as he realized that the large rock was in fact a tombstone, so intricately drawn that he was able to make out the words etched upon it's face.

_Here Lies His Majesty Tom Nook_

_He Died For His Country_

_He Died For His Dream_

_He Died For His Nephews_

_He Died For His Regime_

_May He Rest In Peace_

Timmy felt his heart drop to his stomach, for below the epitaph was the date of his death. November 27th. Timmy glanced at his wall calendar.

It was November 16th.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

Sable smoothed out the crease that had formed in her gown. She had been sitting in the same spot for nearly four hours, and any seamstress worth her salt knew that spending ridiculous amounts of time in a seated position was bound to wreak havoc on one's clothes. She shifted her weight on her throne and tried to appear interested in what was going on in front of her. The local farmer, Joan, had requested an audience with the King. Since Sable was the queen, she was required to sit in during all civic matters. Now as she watched Joan prattle on about turnips with King Nook, she couldn't help but notice the difference between the women's attire. Joan sported faded denim overalls which had obviously seen better days. Most of her head was concealed under a white and blue kerchief. Joan was the epitome of simplicity, whereas Sable boasted her wealth and nobility in every outfit she wore. She gazed down upon her deep emerald green gown. Gold piping accented the empire waistline, while intricate embroidery and crystal sequins ran across the bust. She sighed inwardly as Joan continued to try and reason with the King.

"But sire," Joan argued, "It's simply not fair. Our previous arrangement made much more sense. The villagers would purchase the turnips from me, then sell them to you for a profit. Now it doesn't make sense! You're selling the turnips as well now, and forcing me to sell them at a higher price! Who in their right mind would pay more to buy them from me? I'll go out of business!"

Nook rolled his eyes irritably. "That's really not my problem. I own most of crops surrounding Requiem. It only makes sense that I grow my own turnips. Forcing you to sell at a higher price is one of the many perks of being the king." he sneered.

Joan's eyes began to well up with tears. "But my family, they rely on my income for food, clothes, everything! How are we supposed to live?"

Nook shrugged a shoulder. "The dungeon is always in need of cleaners. The pay is terrible, but perhaps they can accommodate you. I warn you though, if you think your clothes are dirty now, just wait until you've worked a full day down there. Now if that's everything, I'll ask that you leave."

Joan opened her mouth to protest further, but was almost immediately jerked backwards by one of the guards, who dragged her unceremoniously off of the palace grounds.

Sable turned to Nook, "Do you really need to be so cold? The two of you were once good friends."

Nook scowled. "I've done enough for her. She's got to learn a different trade. Turnips are just too valuable for me to ignore, and I refuse to have any competition."

"Is that why you were so harsh with Redd?" asked Sable.

Nook whipped around to face her, his eyes narrowed and filled with rage. "Don't you dare speak of him ever again." He said through gritted teeth.

Sable's eyes widened. She hadn't expected such a violent reaction. "I—I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

It was at that point that the King's royal advisor, Labelle, entered the throne room. "Your majesty," she murmured and curtseyed. "I trust your meeting with Joan went according to plan?"

Nook nodded. "She wasn't pleased,"

Labelle smiled softly and batted her eyelashes, "Obviously she does not understand that your majesty has been most gracious up until now, and she should be grateful for all that you had bestowed upon her previously. You are much too generous, sire."

Nook's cheeks began to turn red, "Well, erm, you do me too much honor, mi'lady."

Sable rolled her eyes. It was no secret that the King had feelings for Labelle, and presently, given both her position of authority and the affection of the King, Labelle had almost complete control over all royal affairs. The entire situation made Sable sick. She was meant to be queen, yet at times she felt like a chamber maid.

"I have a few matters that need to be discussed," Labelle smiled daintily. "Perhaps we could go someplace more…private?"

Nook glanced at Sable then returned his gaze to Labelle. "We can retire to my ready room. We will not be disturbed." With some effort, Nook squeezed himself from the throne and followed Labelle from the throne room.

Sable sighed and leaned back in her throne. She had no idea what Labelle and Nook were planning next. She wasn't entirely sure if she cared either. Nook had become so corrupt since he'd started ruling that she had lost track of the schemes the he and Labelle dreamed up together. She drummed her fingers on the arm of the throne, unsure as to whether she should continue to turn a blind eye to Nook's wheelings and dealings, or if she should take on a more active role. Surely Nook still respected her opinion to some extent. Was it worth her time?

"Excuse me, Queen Sable?" inquired a voice.

Sable snapped out of her contemplative state and turned her attention to the source of the voice. It was a dark haired boy, obviously of modest means. He stared up at her with deep set cerulean eyes.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Sable asked.

The boy smiled lopsidedly. "I didn't mean to interrupt your thoughts, I had just come by to offer my services to the palace."

Sable tilted her head inquisitively. "Do you have any experience?"

The boy nodded. "Sure. I'm a great cook. In fact, I've collected quite a few recipes throughout my travels."

Sable raised an eyebrow. "Surely you haven't traveled much, you look very young."

"My parents died when I was practically a baby. I've been pretty much on my own since I was eight years old." He replied.

Sable nodded. "Fair enough. You can start in the kitchen immediately. We already have a head chef, but I hear that he's in dire need of an assistant. You seem more than willing to fill the position, so everyone wins. What is your name, boy?"

"Adam," the boy replied.

"Very well, Adam. One of the guards will escort you to the kitchen so that you may meet the chef. Will you be sleeping here in the palace?"

"Yes, if it is alright with you, your majesty." Adam said.

Sable smiled. "Indeed it's alright with me. Welcome to the palace, Adam. Your quarters will be modest, but you will be well taken care of. I hope that you enjoy it here."

"Oh," Adam grinned. "I'm sure I will."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Timmy had spent the entire afternoon isolated in the attic of the palace, specifically in the east wing where the royal family stored unused items. He'd wanted the utmost peace and quiet in order to fully digest the vision he'd had earlier that day. With him he'd brought a tablet of lined paper, (both for sketching and for brainstorming his plan of action) several pencils, a candle, some matches and a cooler full of food and drink in the event that he decided to spend an extended period of time in the attic. The floorboards creaked under his hind paws as he paced back and forth. Thus far he had little to show for his concentrated effort, save a few meaningless doodles that had been crumpled up and tossed aside.

Timmy sat down on a nearby crate; he leaned forward, cradling his head in his forepaws. _Why am I stuck with this curse?_ He thought miserably. _What am I supposed to do with it? I can just imagine the conversation: "Hey, uncle Tom! Sorry to bother you, but I had one of my fits and drew a picture of your tombstone; and here's the kicker, the date of your death is only 11 days from now!"_ Timmy sighed, shaking his head. He stood and wandered over to an antique dresser. Dents and scratches marred the once beautiful mahogany finish. Without a second thought, Timmy wiped a thick layer of dust from the surface. Thousands of dust particles shot into the air, many of which gathered just beneath Timmy's nose. He felt a sneeze building up and before it was too late, Timmy jerked up his right paw in an attempt to cover his mouth. Unfortunately he hadn't gauged the distance between himself and the dresser. Instead of protecting his mouth, Timmy managed to slam his paw against the edge of the dresser's surface which stuck out approximately three inches from the dresser drawers. Because his paw was traveling in an upward motion, it struck the underside of the edge. Much to Timmy's surprise, the entire top of the dresser lifted as though it was the lid of a jewelry box. The top crashed down with a bang which in turn caused Timmy to jump.

"What the..." Timmy muttered under his breath. He reached out and slowly lifted the top of the dresser. He was sorely disappointed when all he found was the empty contents of the top drawer. Just as he began lowering the trick lid, his gaze shifted upward and locked onto the underside of the lid. There, beneath two strips of what must have been the sturdiest tape in the history of Requiem, was a small lavender envelope. Timmy extended his free paw and gingerly removed the envelope from its taped confines. Once free, he set down the dresser's lid and began to open the envelope. Inside was a slip of folded parchment paper. Timmy carefully unfolded the paper and read the message scrawled in bold black cursive writing.

_**My Dearest Sable,**_

_**From the stars that once collided**_

_**Came a love that's undivided**_

_**Never will the embers fade**_

_**Nor the whispers in the shade**_

_**Now comes the glimmer of a dream**_

_**Should our hearts take to the gleam**_

_**Surrender to a fleeting chance**_

_**That we might have one last dance**_

_**~Yours for now and for always~**_

Timmy's eyes widened. Obviously this letter had been written by his Uncle during his courtship of the queen. He had never once thought that his Uncle Tom was capable of such heartfelt sentiments.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice came from behind him. Timmy whirled around and stood face to face with his brother Tommy. Timmy hesitated before speaking.

"N—Nothing Tommy. I'm just cleaning up a bit." He stammered nervously.

Tommy raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Sure you are. Say, what have you got there?" With lightening fast reflexes, Tommy snatched the parchment paper from Timmy's paws. His eyes widened as he scanned the contents of the note. "Ugh…This is revolting."

Timmy laughed nervously, shoving his paws into the pockets of his faded trousers. "I know, eh?"

Tommy glanced up at his brother, unable to hide the disgust in his features. "You wrote this for Aunt Sable?"

Timmy's mouth fell open. He was completely taken aback by his brother's assumption. "Of course I didn't! It was obviously written by Uncle Tom."

Tommy frowned, his brow furrowed in concentration (the frustration on Tommy's face made it quite clear that he wasn't accustomed to using his brains for extended periods of time). "Are you sure? It just doesn't seem like his style," Tommy asked doubtfully.

Timmy opened his mouth to reply when yet another visitor entered the attic. "What do you two think you're doing?" Timmy bit his lower lip and gazed up at Sable, who was now towering over both he and his brother. Her paws were placed on her hips and she rhythmically tapped the floorboard with the toe of her dainty shoe.

"Timmy's been snooping around in your things, Aunt Sable. He found this." Tommy grinned malevolently as he held out the love poem. Sable snatched the paper from him and read through it quickly. Her cheeks immediately took on a crimson sheen.

"Timmy!" she snapped. "I expected more from you. You have no business prying into others' private possessions. I forbid you from returning to the attic unaccompanied, and I also forbid you from entering anyone's chambers but your own. Do I make myself clear?"

Tommy snickered as Timmy replied feebly. "Yes your majesty."

Sable folded the parchment paper in half, and then tucked it into the sleeve of her gown. She turned to Tommy and smiled. "Tommy, will you please excuse us for a moment?"

Tommy sneered at Timmy and then nodded at Sable. "No problem Aunt Sable. Don't be too hard on him though. He's a bit of a weakling." He pushed past Timmy and left the attic, the clomping of his boots echoed as he descended the staircase. When she was sure that Tommy was out of earshot, she turned to her other nephew.

"I know that this wasn't all your doing. I'm only harder on you because you're more mature than your brother, and you should know better. That having been said, I would greatly appreciate it if you could keep this letter's existence between us. I know Tommy won't say anything. He has a memory like a sieve. It's you I'm worried about." Sable placed both paws on Timmy's slender shoulders.

"It's no problem Aunt Sable. I won't tell anyone." Timmy replied.

Sable smiled and pulled away from him. "Thank you. Oh, and before I forget, dinner will be served at eight this evening. We have a new chef's aide, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store." Sable gazed down at Timmy's forlorn expression and sighed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. "I love you Timmy, never forget that." She said reassuringly. Timmy nodded and returned the embrace. Sable kissed his cheek and gave him one last squeeze. "Alright, I'd better go." She then rose and spun on her heel, exiting the attic.

"Oh, Aunt Sable!" Timmy called out.

"Yes?" Sable asked, looking back over her shoulder.

"That love poem…It was from Uncle Tom, right?"

Sable's lips pursed together. "Yes of course." She replied stiffly. She turned abruptly and left the way she had entered, leaving Timmy behind to ponder her stilted response.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Redd sat on the edge of his bed, his legs swung restlessly back and forth as he stared at the long-range walkie-talkie sitting on the bureau across from him. He and Adam had arranged a conference call that would follow his first day on the job at Nook's palace. Redd was extremely nervous. He had faith that their plan would work, however there was still plenty of room for error. Not to mention the punishment they would receive if they were ever caught. Redd began chewing nervously at one of his claws. Just as panic had begun to set in, the walkie-talkie crackled to life.

"Redd, do you read me?" came the tinny sound of Adam's voice.

Redd snatched up the walkie-talkie. "I hear you loud and clear. How did supper go?"

"Perfectly," Adam replied. "I do believe they were extremely impressed by my culinary prowess."

Redd rolled his eyes. "I'm sure they were. So how was Nook?"

"Oddly enough, he wasn't there. His royal advisor…I think her name is Labelle, took his food up to his room. Apparently he's working on some big project. Whatever that means."

Redd frowned, "A big project, eh? We should probably find out what that's about. See if you can casually ask around. Maybe the chef knows something; or make nice with one of his nephews, Timmy and Tommy. I think Timmy is the smarter of the two, so it might be best if you befriended him. As far as I remember, Tommy is a bit of a brat." Redd chewed nervously on the inside of his cheek. "The queen is another option, but I'd be careful around her. She's pretty sharp, and she'd probably pick up that you're snooping around."

"Yeah I met the queen." Said Adam. "She seemed really nice. Not at all like her husband. I wonder why she's with him in the first place."

"I often ask myself the same question," Redd muttered. "Okay. We'd better call it a night. You don't want to be caught talking to me."

"Alright Redd. Same time tomorrow?"

"You've got it," Redd replied. "Ten-four." Redd switched off the walkie-talkie and placed it back on the bureau. He wandered over to his bed and slid under the covers. He was sure that sleep would elude him but within a matter of minutes his eyelids grew heavy. He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep and dreamless slumber.

* * *

_**2 Hours Earlier…**_

"What are we making tonight?" Adam asked the palace chef, Franklin.

"As long as it's not me, I don't care!" Franklin replied, as paranoid as ever.

Adam laughed. "Alright. How about some fish? That seems to be a common favorite around here. Do we have any red snapper in stock?"

"We certainly do. We receive fresh fish daily from our royal fishermen." Franklin replied.

"You have royal fishermen?" Adam asked incredulously.

"Of course. We pretty much have a royal anything."

"Interesting," said Adam. "Okay, I'll get started on dinner." Adam proceeded to gather all of the ingredients he would require for his famous Pensacola red snapper dish. He hummed as he began prepping the food. Cooking was a passion of his. Ever since he'd started out on his own, Adam needed to be extremely inventive with his food as he was never sure where his next meal would come from. As a result he had a vast knowledge of food preparation. Once he was finished with the prep work, he popped the snapper into the oven.

"Should be ready in about 15 to 30 minutes." Adam announced.

"OH NO!" Franklin cried.

"What is it?" Adam asked worriedly.

"I just looked at the date!" Franklin moaned. "It's almost time for the harvest festival…I'd better not be on the menu this year! That's why I became a cook you know. So I could avoid the axe."

Adam shook his head, stifling a laugh. "Well, I'm sure that this year the harvest festival will be turkey friendly."

"Easy for you to say," Franklin whimpered. The two chefs continued to chat back and forth while they waited for the snapper to finish cooking. They were both startled out of conversation when the oven bell chimed. Adam pulled on a pair of oven mitts and removed the snapper from the oven.

"I can take this in to them," he told Franklin. He exited the kitchen and carried the food into the dining hall. Upon first glance the hall was intimidating. The room itself was approximately seventy feet long and fifty feet wide. Paintings adorned the walls from various eras along with several floor to ceiling windows. Crimson and gold curtains hung from the windows, which further enhanced the overall bold impression of the room. In the middle of the hall was a large table where Queen Sable, Timmy and Tommy sat, waiting for their meal. Adam hurried over and placed the snapper dish on the table. Sable was the first to sample the food. Her eyes closed in appreciation as the flavors tickled her palate.

"Adam, this is positively exquisite," she murmured between bites.

Adam bowed. "Why thank you, my queen."

Both Timmy and Tommy were equally impressed by the taste. They gobbled the food down within minutes.

"Won't the king be joining you?" Adam asked Sable. Sable's features darkened.

"I'm afraid not. Labelle, the king's advisor will be fetching his food and bringing it to his chambers." She said icily.

"Very well," Adam replied. As he turned to leave Sable reached out and grasped his arm.

"If you'll stay for a few moments, there's something I'd like to discuss." Sable smiled.

"Oh. Alright, as you wish." Adam responded nervously. Realizing that the queen wished to speak to Adam in private, Timmy and Tommy retired to their chambers. Sable motioned for Adam to sit in the chair nearest to her.

"The king has several spies positioned throughout Requiem," Sable began. "They act as his eyes and ears. That having been said, I am not without my own resources."

"I'm not sure I follow," said Adam.

"Don't be coy," replied the queen. "I'm well aware of the fact that you and Redd live under the same roof. I'm also no stranger to Redd's antics. For security purposes I had your chambers searched. I found the walkie-talkie, and I'm sure I know who is in possession of its mate."

Adam swallowed audibly. "It's not what you think- " he stammered.

Sable held up her paw. "I don't want to hear your pitiful excuses. I will not turn you over to the king."

"You won't?" Adam blinked.

"No. I wish for you to continue communications with Redd. Do not let him know that I am aware of your activities. You are to report to me any orders that he should relay to you. As such, I will inform you on how to proceed. Should I discover that you've told Redd that I know of your actions, I will have you thrown into the dungeons and let you deal with my husband; and believe me, if you betray me, I **will** find out." Sable's eyes narrowed.

"Yes your majesty, thank you for not reporting me to the king. I am forever in your debt." Adam murmured.

Sable nodded. "Think nothing of it. I want to know what Redd has planned. When will you speak with him next?"

"We have a conference call set up for tonight," Adam replied.

"Good," said Sable. "Tell him that everything went well. Once you have spoken with him, report to the kitchen. I will meet you there. For now return to your room."

Adam nodded and retreated hastily, his shoulders slouched in embarrassment and defeat. Sable sighed as she watched him go. She folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

"What are you planning, Redd?" she wondered aloud. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

The forest surrounding Requiem was bathed in darkness. The moon remained hidden behind thick gray clouds. Creatures rarely stirred above or below ground, only showing small signs of life in an otherwise barren location. On this particular night, however, sharp and ragged breathing could be heard echoing through the brush.

She was running in the fashion that most did when they were running from something terrible. It was not the steady methodic pace that joggers maintained during exercise, but the frantic haphazard stumbling of someone running for their life. As she ran through the forest, branches continuously slapped at her, causing small beads of blood to trickle down her face. The rivulets intertwined with her perspiration, which created an irritating stinging sensation. She gritted her teeth as a sharp cramp lanced at her side. Grunting in pain she continued on at her frenzied pace. Twisted roots penetrated the earth, turning the forest floor into a treacherous obstacle course. She cried out as her hind paw caught on to one of the roots. She was sent sprawling to the ground, the air bursting from her lungs in a painful whoosh. The sound of barking dogs and footfalls were close behind her, and she was desperate to find her way to the shoreline of Requiem before they caught up. She struggled to her feet only to trip once again on the tree roots. The visibility was poor and a feeling of defeat was beginning to well up in her chest. When she was certain that her capture was imminent, she saw the faint glow of lights in the distance. With renewed hope she moved forward, narrowly avoiding any further falls. She ran for what seemed like hours, but was really only a matter of minutes. She was finally at the edge of the forest. She leaned against a nearby tree, breathing in a deep sigh of relief. As the boisterous clan of Nookists closed in, she slipped unnoticed into the first house on the shoreline. She knew who inhabited the house, and she knew that she could count on their

assistance. After all, she had quite an interesting story to share.

* * *

"Shug, something's been buggin' me since Adam went to work at the castle," Harriet said to Redd. She wrung her paws nervously.

"What's been bugging you, Harriet?" Redd smiled at her. He knew that Harriet could be a worry wart, so he wasn't surprised in the least that she had some complaints about their current mission.

"Well, there's a couple of things, really," she began. "First of all, how do you know that Nook isn't going to search poor Adam's room and find those walkie-talkies?"

Redd folded his arms over his chest. "To be quite honest, I don't think Nook is that bright. However, I do suspect that the queen will search Adam's room."

Harriet's eyes widened in surprise. "But shug, aren't you worried that she'll expose him to Nook?"

"Not in the least. If I know the queen, she'll try and figure out what I'm planning. I'm going to try and get her onto our side. If we can get her to see things our way, we'll have a very powerful ally." Redd explained.

Harriet frowned. "What about Adam? Don't you think he'll be scared out of his wits when the queen finds out he's a spy."

"Harriet, he knows about all of this. He ensured that the walkie-talkies would be found! I told him to hide them someplace subtle, and not too obvious. Otherwise Sab-I mean the queen would know she was being set up." Redd replied.

Harriet sighed, "This all seems far too complicated, shug. I guess it's needed though if we want to see any kind of change in our horrible little town."

Redd slid his arm around Harriet's shoulder reassuringly. "I know it's going to be tough, but for the time being we'll have to just make do with--" A loud bang startled them both. The front door of the small house swung open, slamming against the wall. Redd and Harriet watched in stunned silence as a ragged figure hung in the doorframe. Redd couldn't quite make out the figure's identity, but he knew that it was a female. He stepped forward. "Are you alright?" he asked.

The figure took a step toward them, her paw outstretched. "Help me…" she stammered. She then fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

* * *

Timmy awoke with a start. Sweat clung to his fur, turning it into a tangled mess. His heart thudded in his chest as he gasped for air. The dream had been a vivid one, and he could feel one of his spells beginning to take hold of him. He climbed out of his bed, taking extra care not to wake his brother. He grabbed a pencil and the writing tablet from his bedside table and crept out of the bedroom. The hallway was well lit, and he had no problems making his way to the washroom. He tiptoed into the bathroom and quietly shut the door behind him. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and flipped to a blank page in his sketchbook. No sooner had he pressed the tip of his pencil to the paper than he began to sketch feverishly. Dark grey lines began to transform into coherent images. Timmy's eyes became glassy as he fell deeper into his trance-like state. His heart rate became steadily slower. His hand swept across the page, the pencil traveling in broad strokes as he completed the final touches to his sketch. The whole process took less than ten minutes. Timmy blinked several times as he slowly regained control of himself. He gazed down at his newest creation. His eyes narrowed as he took in the details. The drawing was of a house on the beach. The waves of the ocean lapped at the coast, which was adorned with several different kinds of seashells. The house in question was modest to be sure, especially in comparison to Timmy's own home. A figure could be seen through the window of the house. With his head tilted to one side, he examined the figure. It suddenly dawned on him that the figure in the window was none other than Crazy Redd. Timmy frowned, wondering why he'd ever draw a picture of Redd. Shrugging a shoulder he quickly turned his attention to the other figure in the drawing. It was of a female cat, her clothing was ragged and torn. She was emaciated from malnourishment, and her fur was matted with dirt. The cat was leaning against the house, her paw reaching out for the front doorknob.

"What the heck is this supposed to mean?" Timmy wondered. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock on the bathroom door. Before Timmy could respond, the door swung open. His brother stood in the doorway.

"Hey, doofus. What are you doing this time?" Tommy asked, a sneer curled his lips. He reached out and grabbed Timmy's sketchpad. "You're still drawing lame pictures, huh? What's this supposed to be?" He held the drawing out of Timmy's reach while at the same time examining it. "Why would you draw a picture of that loser Crazy Redd?"

Timmy rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "I have no idea. I never know why I draw the things that I do."

"Lame," Tommy muttered. "Hey, I think I recognize this cat though; but she looks…different here." His brow furrowed as he fought hard to place a name to the face.

"I've seen her too," said Timmy. "I just can't remember where--"

"I know!" Tommy exclaimed. "It's that fortune teller!"

Timmy blinked. "Katrina? Why would Katrina go to Redd's house?"

"How should I know?" Tommy snapped. "It's your stupid drawing, and a bad one to boot. This is lame, I'm going to bed." Tommy flung the sketchpad to the ground and exited the bathroom, leaving Timmy behind to ponder his latest work of art.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

"How did she manage to escape?!" Nook roared. His eyes were wild with fury as he paced the length of his bedchambers. "I thought we had guards positioned outside of her cell!" Nook was still furious over the recent escape of Katrina, who had fled the palace the previous night.

"T—to be quite honest, sire, we aren't sure how she escaped," Gaston stammered. "The guards said that she seemed to disappear into thin air!" Gaston sat at the mahogany table in the "ready room" section of the king's bedchambers. He wrung his paws nervously as he gauged the King Nook's reaction. Across from Gaston sat Labelle. Unlike Gaston, Labelle maintained a stoic expression as the king raged in his chambers. Gaston could not understand how she was unaffected by the king's intimidations. Her claws tapped against the table, each digit of her paw was adorned with rings. The rings were no doubt all gifts from the king, as each one bore the royal crest as well as several hues of gems.

"Perhaps she used her psychic powers to escape," Labelle muttered acerbically.

Nook scowled, halting in his footsteps. "I don't need your insolence," he growled. He resumed pacing. This time, however, his agitated behaviour was due to apprehension, rather than anger. "No doubt she's on her way to see that wretched fox," he grumbled.

"We can send someone there to evaluate the situation," Gaston suggested.

Nook shook his head. "No. I don't want to give the psychic any credibility. If my men were to show up with guns blazing, Redd would immediately realize that any information Katrina provided for him was true. I'd rather risk him thinking that she's insane."

"As you wish," Gaston replied. "What shall I do in the meantime?"

Nook folded his arms over chest. "Have the guards that are currently stationed near Adam's house keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If they happen upon the psychic, have them take her in for "questioning"." Nook grinned wickedly. "Send this information to the guards via balloon. It should arrive in time. Now leave us."

Gaston nodded and rose from his seat. He bowed to the king and nodded respectfully at Labelle. He left the room to follow through with the king's instructions. Nook shifted his gaze to Labelle. "Is there any news to report from our contact on the beach?"

Labelle shook her head. "I haven't heard anything of interest. I'm sure that will change once Katrina winds up on Adam's porch. It's a good thing that Redd is staying with a palace employee," she snickered.

Nook grinned. "Thank goodness for small favors," he replied. He sat in the empty seat across from Labelle. "What should we do about the fox?" Nook asked. "I still think we should just dispose of him. It's not like I don't have the authority to do so. I am the king after all."

"No," said Labelle. "If you take it upon yourself to dispose of Redd for seemingly no reason, all of Requiem will rise up against you. Mostly for fear of having the same happen to them. I think it best we continue to act according to the plan."

"Alright," Nook replied. "I'm not sure if I like it, but you seem to have a better grasp on these things than I do." He smiled at Labelle.

"By the way," said Labelle. "I've been noticing that the queen has been snooping around a lot more than usual."

"Leave her out of this," Nook snapped. "She's an innocent. I don't want her involved."

Labelle blinked, clearly taken aback by the king's sudden outburst. "I apologize, your majesty. It won't happen again." She paused, biting her lip. "There is something else I wanted to bring to your attention."

"What is it now?" Nook asked wearily.

"Tommy came to see me," Labelle replied. "He brought this with him," she reached into her robes and extracted a sketchbook. "It belongs to Timmy. I believe you'll find the last two drawings particularly fascinating."

Nook's eyes widened as he gazed upon both pictures. The first was of Nook's own funeral, while the second was of Katrina about to enter Adam's house. "What…How can he possibly…?"

Labelle shrugged. "I'm not sure, sire. Would you like me to have him questioned?"

Nook frowned. He didn't relish the thought of his nephew experiencing the harsh interrogation that so many of his enemies had encountered. However, he felt that he had no choice. "Yes. Have the interrogator go a bit easier on him, but I want to know what these pictures are about."

"I will have him taken to the dungeon immediately," Labelle stood. She spun on her heel. "I will oversee his questioning. I'm sure that it would be far too difficult for you to witness."

Nook exhaled with relief. "Thank you. Your service will not go unnoticed." He grinned.

"It is an honour to serve you, sire." Labelle replied. She exited the room, leaving Nook to ponder his fate.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

The ice cold water splashed against Timmy's fur, pulling him out of his state of unconsciousness. His bleary eyes opened in a vain attempt to focus on the interrogator standing in front of him.

"I never took you for the vicious type," Timmy croaked as his feline interrogator tossed the empty bucket aside.

The cat grinned, her cheeks becoming increasingly flushed with each passing minute. "You can never judge a book by its cover," she purred. "Now answer the question."

Timmy moaned painfully. He struggled against the ropes that bound his arms and legs to a rickety chair. "I told you," he muttered. "I don't know why I draw these things. They just pop into my head!"

Her blue pelt glistened under the intense light shining down on the two of them. "That's ridiculous," she hissed.

"Well Rosie, I don't know what to tell you," said Timmy, his voice heavy with defeat.

Rosie's eyes narrowed. She reached out with her paw, unsheathing her claws. With a loud snarl she scratched Timmy's face, leaving behind four jagged red lines on his cheek. "Did I say that you could call me by my name?" she asked angrily.

"I'm sorry!" Timmy began to sob softly. "Why are you doing this? You were always so nice to me in school!"

Rosie smiled sweetly. "This has nothing to do with how I feel about you. I still want to be friends!"

Timmy's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding!"

"I'm serious!" Rosie exclaimed. She leaned forward, pulling Timmy into a hug. He shuddered at the contact and began to squirm. "Now now," Rosie admonished, "there's no need for you take this business personally."

"Then please, let me go," Timmy whispered.

Rosie shook her head. "Not until you tell me why you think the king is going to die in seven days,"

"I don't know!" Timmy cried.

"Well then," Rosie smiled, "I guess we'll just have to stay here until you can give me a good answer." She wandered over to the far wall where several weapons hung. She grabbed a mace and advanced upon Timmy, the weapon held high above her head. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the blow.

"That's enough!" boomed a voice. Timmy opened his eyes. Sable stood in front of him. She had grabbed hold of Rosie's arm, preventing her from striking him with the deadly weapon.

"Queen Sable," Rosie stammered, "what are you doing here?"

Sable held her grip on Rosie. With her free paw she reached out, taking the mace from her. "I'm here to relieve you of your duties. Timmy will be returning to his chambers."

Rosie frowned, "But…but your majesty, I was told to question him until he revealed why he drew what he did. King Nook himself made the order."

Sable raised her chin, gazing down at the small blue cat. "You dare question me? Not that it is any of you concern, but the king asked that I personally remove Timmy from these horrendous conditions." She let go of Rosie's frail arm, somewhat amazed by the fact that the child could hold up such a heavy, blunt instrument. Sable then remembered that Rosie was specifically chosen for the duty of interrogator because of her surprising strength. Also, Rosie seemed to have two completely different personalities. On the one hand she was kind and sweet, always going out of her way to help others. Yet Rosie had a twisted side. One that she did not reveal unless asked to interrogate prisoners for the king. What was perhaps most frightening about Rosie was the fact that she saw nothing wrong with how she treated her prisoners. She saw it as a childish game. One thing was for sure, Sable did not want to see how Rosie would behave ten years from now.

"Please leave us," Sable said quietly. Rosie shrugged her shoulders and retreated from the interrogation room (which was found in the dungeon). The soft clacking of her claws echoed through the chambers causing chills to run down Timmy's spine. "Let's get you the heck out of here," said Sable. She leaned forward and began untying Timmy's ropes, grunting with effort. "There were definitely knotted by a professional," she groaned. After many attempts and a few choice words of anger, Timmy was freed of his confines. He tried to stand, but immediately began to sway on his feet. Sable placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "You need to take it slowly," she chided in a motherly tone. "Put your arm around my shoulder…that's right. Now put one foot in front of the other."

With help from Sable, Timmy was soon able to walk to his chambers without having to rely too heavily on the queen. As soon as he saw his soft and inviting bed, he practically jumped into it. Sable chuckled under her breath, helping him get cozy. She fetched him a glass of warm milk and stayed with him for a while. When enough time had passed, Sable finally broached the subject.

"Timmy," she began, "why did you draw those things about your uncle? They made him very upset."

Timmy looked up at her. Sable was like a mother to him, and he wasn't afraid to confide in her. "I can't tell you why, I can only tell you that whatever I've drawn has always come to pass. That's why I'm so scared. Aunt Sable, according to my picture, Uncle Tom is going to die in seven days!"

Sable sighed, patting Timmy's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "I'm sure that's not the case," she said, "besides can you imagine how difficult it would be for someone to get close enough to the king in order to kill him? He has guards surrounding him at all times."

"I guess that's true," Timmy conceded, "but what about the other picture?"

"What other picture?" Sable asked.

"The one where Katrina is about to enter Adam's house to speak with Redd," Timmy replied.

_That's strange,_ thought Sable, _I haven't seen that one…Why would they hide it from me…Unless…_ Sable's eyes widened. She had encountered a hooded figure entering the library a few nights ago. _Could that have been Katrina? If so, why had she fled the palace to see Redd?_ All of these questions and more swirled through Sable's mind at a dizzying pace. She needed to rest and process this new bit of news. Should she seek out Adam and ask that he find out what Katrina wants with Redd? Or should she visit Redd on her own? After bidding Timmy goodnight, she retreated to her own bed chambers to contemplate her next course of action.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

Katrina wrapped her paws around the steaming mug of tea. She felt chilled to the bone and the hot mug was an excellent source of heat. She took a small sip, savouring the contrast of sweet and bitter tastes on her tongue. Harriet had been so kind as to offer Katrina some bed clothes to change into after partaking in a long, hot bath. Even still, despite the bath and the tea, Katrina continued to tremble. At this point, she was sure that the tremors were not only a result of the cold, but also due to her state of constant fear.

"Thank you so much for taking me in," Katrina whispered hoarsely. She glanced up at Redd and Harriet from the plush cream sofa. "I was certain that I would perish in that horrendous dungeon," she shuddered violently.

"You're safe now," Redd murmured soothingly. "Why exactly were you being held prisoner?"

Katrina took another sip of her tea before answering. "Nook called upon me to read his fortune. It is something I do on a monthly basis, just to assuage his doubts. Normally, I placate him with the usual platitudes, but this time…" she trailed off. "This time something came over me. It was as though I was watching myself from the outside, like I was a third party to it all."

"What happened, shug?" Harriet asked worriedly.

"My vision became blurry, and suddenly I saw it," Katrina replied. "I saw Nook lying on the ground…and he was dead."

Redd and Harriet exchanged glances. "He was dead?" Redd managed to croak.

Katrina nodded solemnly. "He was dead, and his murderer stood above him, weapon in hand."

"Well, who was the murderer?" Redd asked impatiently.

"I do not know for sure, I only saw their silhouette," Katrina muttered. "All that I know is that the murderer was an animal. He or she had pointed ears and a bushy tail."

Harriet's gaze immediately shifted to Redd. "That sounds an awful lot like you, shug."

"That description fits any number of animals!" Redd cried defensively. "Squirrels have that kind of silhouette too, you know!"

"That is not all," Katrina interrupted. "The weapon that the murderer held was bathed in a ruby glow."

"A ruby glow?" Harriet exclaimed. "Ruby, as in **RED**?"

Redd rolled his eyes. "All of this is pure speculation. Maybe the ruby glow is meant to signify…" Redd struggled to find a rational explanation.

"Finally," Katrina continued, "there were the words that I spoke. Those words were what I believe led to my imprisonment."

"And what words were those?" Redd asked.

"Nex vulpes volpes," Katrina whispered.

Harriet inhaled sharply, her paw moving to her chest. "Oh dear,"

"What?" Redd asked with growing apprehension. "What the heck does that mean?"

Katrina gazed down at her tea. "It's Latin for "Violent Death Fox","

Redd sighed, shaking his head. "Oh, crud."

***

_**Later that night…**_

Katrina pulled the covers up to her chin. Although she had escaped Nook's dungeon, she still wasn't safe. She rolled over onto her side and faced the window. Clouds rolled over the moon, cloaking the glow that it emitted. _At least I managed to get here and let them know about what happened,_ she thought. Redd had already spoken with several of his closest confidants, and Katrina knew that sooner or later word of Nook's demise would spread. She only hoped that Redd was discreet in telling others how he came about his information. She sighed softly. "No point in worrying about it now," she murmured. She felt her limbs grow heavier as her adrenaline rush gave way to exhaustion. She closed her eyes, ready to welcome the coming slumber happily.

A hand clamped over her mouth. Katrina's eyes shot open. She was held in place by a vise-like grip.

"You should never have come here," a ragged voice rasped into her ear. Katrina whimpered as she felt a sharp pinprick in her arm. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. It wasn't long before Katrina plummeted into total oblivion.

_**Meanwhile…**_

"I'm telling you, she said that I'm going to kill Nook!" Redd whispered heatedly into the walkie-talkie. "I don't know whether I think she's a revolutionary psychic or psych**o**!"

"When is this supposed to happen?" came Adam's garbled voice.

"I have no idea," Redd replied. "She just said some cryptic stuff about a death fox and a ruby weapon."

"I might be able to shed some light on that. One of Nook's nephews was taken in for questioning. Apparently he had some material that may or may not have been treasonous. I found out from a reliable source that this material was actually a couple of drawings that the kid did. One of them showed Nook's funeral along with his date of death written on a tombstone." Adam neglected to mention that his 'reliable source' was the queen herself.

"Drawings? Sounds like Timmy. He was always the more artistic of the two. Did your source tell you the date on the tombstone?" asked Redd.

"November 27th," Adam answered.

"What?! That's in less than a week!" Redd hissed. "Poor Timmy. Nook isn't well known for his friendly interrogation techniques," Redd felt the anger begin to twist at his insides. He contemplated storming the palace in order to free Timmy of his captivity. Redd never thought that Nook would stoop so low as to imprison his own nephew. He choked down a growl, fighting the urge to claw at the table he sat at.

"Don't worry," Adam reassured. "When the queen found out what happened she rescued him pretty quickly. I don't think I've ever seen a hedgehog run so quickly!"

Redd let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. I think we're going to have to make a move sooner than expected. We'll talk at the same time tomorrow. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open."

"Ten-four," Adam replied.

Redd switched off the walkie-talkie. He was just about to head to his room when he heard a thump. _Was that from Katrina's room?_ he wondered. Without a second thought, his jaw clenched and he began to creep slowly toward Katrina's room.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

Redd's paw closed around the doorknob. He twisted slowly and silently, careful not to alert any possible invaders on the other side of the door. (Or wake Katrina up in the event that his imagination was acting up.) He took in a deep breath and opened the door. A sliver of light appeared on the ground below him, inching its way into the perfect darkness of Katrina's bedroom. When the door was fully opened, he reached over to the light switch on the wall next to him. The lights flashed on, temporarily blinding him. When Redd's eyes finally adjusted he glanced around the room, confusion and panic started to set in.

"Where'd she go?" he wondered aloud. He scurried over to the bed and threw back the covers only to reveal what he'd feared: a pile of pillows intended to imitate a sleeping figure. Redd frowned. He bent down onto his knees and glanced under the bed. Still nothing. With a heaving sigh he got to his feet and darted over to the closet. He swung the doors open and came face to face with several articles of tacky clothing.

"Harriet?" he called out. "I think we've got a problem!"

***

"She's at my place alright," Adam said to Sable while returning the walkie-talkie to its hiding place.

Sable folded her arms over her chest. "I figured as much. As soon as I'd heard about that second drawing that Timmy did, I knew that she was the cloaked figure entering the library several nights ago."

"That must have been when she predicted that Redd would kill Nook," Adam deduced.

"Keep your voice down!" Sable hissed. "If anyone hears you, not only will you be locked up, I will be too!"

"Sorry," Adam muttered. "Alright," he whispered, "we know that Katrina is at my house and she told Redd all about her encounter with Nook. Now what?"

Sable sighed. She wandered over to the tiny window in Adam's quarters. Gazing out at the overcast sky, she contemplated several courses of action. All roads led to one place.

"I have to go see Redd," Sable announced.

"What?!" Adam yelped, leaping up from his bed. "You can't be serious! Nook will never allow it! Don't you think he'd wonder why the heck the queen of Requiem would want to visit the most hated animal in all the land?"

Sable swept a stray quill from her forehead. "I can make up an excuse to leave. He is far too self involved to think anything of it. If I don the right disguise, no one will be any the wiser. "

Adam shook his head incredulously. "I've gotta say, your majesty, you certainly do take some big risks."

Sable frowned, returning her gaze to the sky. "I have no choice."

***

Labelle clipped away at the last inch of stem on one of her many blue roses, taking care to make a diagonal cut just as she'd learned from her mother. The flowers were arranged in several neat piles on the counter in front of her. She inspected the petals of the blue rose. Labelle was a perfectionist and hated when even one petal was out of place.

"Lady Labelle!" cried out a voice from behind her.

Labelle flinched and spun around, annoyance playing across her dainty features. "What is it?" she snapped.

The heavily made up wolf came to a halt, obviously embarrassed and ashamed that he'd upset Labelle. He wiped a thin layer of perspiration from his muzzle and forehead, smearing his mauve eye shadow in the process. "I'm terribly sorry mi'lady, but I rushed over as soon as I'd heard!"

"What exactly did you hear, Fang?" Labelle asked wearily.

"Queen Sable," Fang sputtered, "she's going to see that wretched and filthy fox!"

Labelle rolled her eyes, "And your point is?"

Fang wrung his paws nervously. "Well, aren't you concerned that she'll join forces with the fox?"

"I'm counting on it," Labelle replied. "With her out of the way, the King and the rest of Requiem are mine for the taking," she grinned triumphantly.

"You sound so sure!" Fang tilted his head. "With all due respect, how can you be certain that the hideous queen and that revolting fox won't succeed?"

Labelle's eyes narrowed. A quick and sudden movement of her paw sent Fang tumbling backwards. Blood trickled from his muzzle. "Don't you dare question me," she growled menacingly.

Fang rubbed his jaw, his eyes wide with fright. "I—I'm so sorry, mi'lady! It won't happen again!"

"Be sure that is doesn't," came Labelle's scathing reply. "Until then, keep me updated on anything related to the queen. I want to know her every move." She turned her back on Fang and continued to clip her roses. She began to hum a whimsical tune. If all went according to plan, she would rule Requiem by the end of the week.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

She had been conscious for at least a half hour, but in her confined space, it had felt like an eternity. Katrina continued to pound against the roof of the small box that she was being imprisoned in. Her throat was raw and her voice hoarse from constant screaming. Her paws were bound together in front of her, allowing her limited movement. Her hind paws were also tied, but this did not prevent her from kicking at the walls of whatever it was she was being held in. She had almost given up all hope of being rescued when she heard muffled voices.

"Please! Help me!" She shouted. Either the voices didn't hear her, or they didn't care, for they continued on with their conversation, completely oblivious to her cries. A loud rumbling started up beneath her and she soon realised where she was being held captive: the trunk of a car. "Let me out of here!" she shrieked. "I'll do anything!" The driver was obviously trying to ignore her for he or she had increased the volume of what she could only assume was the radio. Katrina sighed. Her body sagged with exhaustion. Her wrists had turned an angry colour of red from all of her struggling. She had no choice but to wait out the drive and hope that she would have a chance to escape once they had arrived at their destination. Katrina leaned against the side wall and rested, conserving her energy. After what she could only approximate to be an hour, the car slowed and finally came to a stop. The engine switched off and Katrina was plunged into a preternatural silence. This silence was soon broken by the sound of a car door swinging open. Katrina held her breath as she heard footsteps drawing to the rear of the car. A key rattled in the lock and the trunk opened sharply. Katrina exhaled and gazed up at her captor.

"So, it's you," she hissed angrily.

***

"What's the problem, shug?" Harriet asked upon entering the room.

"Well, Katrina's gone and judging by this closet, Adam has terrible taste in clothes," Redd replied.

Harriet gasped, "Katrina is gone? Where would she go? It isn't safe for her to be out in the open!"

Redd closed the closet doors and turned to face Harriet. He leaned back against the old cabana wardrobe, his arms folded across his chest. "I don't think she just left. Based on what I see in here, I think she was taken."

Harriet glanced around the room, eyes wide with amazement. "How could you possibly know that? Nothing looks amiss."

A knowing smile tugged at the corners of Redd's mouth. "For one thing, I heard a thumping sound from my room. When I first walked in, I assumed that she had taken off, but there are small telltale signs that there was a struggle. Take a closer look at the bed spread."

Harriet pulled the covers away from the bed. "I don't know what you—oh!" she bent down and gingerly picked up what appeared to be a discarded syringe. "What's this doing here?"

"My guess is she was drugged with something, that's why we didn't hear much of anything. Whoever took her probably just tossed that needle aside," Redd replied. "It doesn't stop there, though." He walked over to the bedroom window, which had been opened a crack. Redd reached out with a paw and grasped at something that had been fluttering in the breeze, caught on the window sill. He handed it to Harriet.

Harriet turned the flashy violet scarf over in her paws, "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what this is?"

"No, I don't actually. I was hoping you could shed some light on it," Redd replied.

"This is Gracie's scarf!" Harriet cried out. "It must have gotten caught here on the window sill. That means…" she looked up at Redd. "Gracie is the one that took Katrina?!"

Redd snatched the scarf back from Harriet and began to examine it himself. "That actually makes sense," he muttered under his breath. "Labelle and Gracie were close friends. It's no surprise that Gracie is on her team."

"Poor Katrina," Harriet murmured. "I wouldn't want to be the one having to deal with that witch, Gracie," she shuddered.

"That's if she's still alive," Redd frowned. "We just have to ask ourselves if Katrina is more valuable to them living or dead."

Harriet opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly there was a rap at the front door. She looked over her shoulder quizzically. "Who would show up at this hour?" she wondered aloud. As she turned to exit, Redd grasped her shoulder, holding her in place.

"Wait a minute. I'll go and see who it is," he said. Redd left the room and headed into the foyer. When he reached the front door he took a moment to glance into the peephole. Upon seeing the visitor, Redd sighed exasperatedly.

"Who is it, shug?" Harriet asked nervously.

Redd unlatched the security chain and flipped the deadbolt. He twisted the knob and opened the door. As he stood aside, a cloaked figure entered the room. Redd bowed and offered the visitor his paw. "Your majesty," he murmured. The cloaked figure took Redd's proffered paw and Redd brought the figure's own paw to his lips. Harriet watched on in complete bewilderment.

"What the heck—" before Harriet could finish her sentence, the visitor reached up and pulled back the hood of their cloak. Harriet gasped and curtseyed immediately. "Queen Sable! I apologize!"

Sable smiled at Harriet. "Think nothing of it, you weren't expecting my visit." She turned to Redd, her chin raised. "Hello Redd," she said evenly. Her cheeks had taken on a red sheen. Whether this was an indication that she was blushing or simply wind ravaged from the trip, Redd was unsure. He only knew that his heart had begun to thunder in his chest, galloping at an uneven pace.

"Hello Queen Sable," he whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

Sable tugged the lace at the hood of her cloak, freeing it from her shoulders. She folded it over her arm. Redd couldn't help but notice the queen's attire. She sported a plain maroon linen dress, an outfit more suited to a peasant than to the queen of Requiem. He could only assume that Sable was traveling incognito. "To what do we owe this honour, your highness?" Redd inquired.

"You can dispense with the formalities," Sable replied curtly. "We've known each other far too long for that kind of tripe."

Redd chuckled. "Alright then. What are you doing here, Sable?"

Harriet gasped at the fox's audacity. "Shug, you can't talk to the queen like that!"

"Don't worry about it Harriet. Besides, I haven't got much time, and I'd rather not waste it discussing Redd's manners. Or lack thereof." Sable quipped.

"Far be it from me to get in the way of your busy schedule," Redd griped. "Just tell us what you wanted to tell us."

Sable rolled her eyes. She tossed her cloak onto a nearby econo-chair and placed her paws on her hips. "Fine then. I think Tom plans on attacking you. He's afraid that you're going to kill him, or at the very least jeopardize his reign over Requiem. That hideous wretch Labelle has been whispering paranoid delusions into his ear, and he seems to be eating them up like a Harvest turkey."

"That's not the only thing he's been eating up," Redd joked.

"Just be quiet for once, will you?" Sable retorted. "I'm sure Labelle has already convinced him to sic some of his flunkies onto you, and I just came by to warn you."

"We think that's already happened, shug." Harriet interjected. "One of our friends was…forcibly removed from the house."

"You mean Katrina?" asked Sable.

Harriet blinked, slightly taken aback by Sable's obvious grasp on the situation. "Yes, actually. How'd ya know?"

Sable glanced at Redd. She bit her lower lip, unsure as to whether or not she should reveal her source this early on in the conversation.

"Adam told her," Redd replied. Sable's mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh come on Sable, you didn't actually think I was dumb enough to expect that you wouldn't find the walkie-talkies. Give me a little more credit than that!"

Sable sighed. "Yes, Adam told me all about Katrina being here. I rushed over as soon as I heard," she admitted.

"And that's the only reason you came all the way over here?" Redd asked.

Sable looked away abruptly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes," she whispered.

The three of them stood in awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity. Neither one could find the words to convey just how much they'd lost as a result of Tortimer's passing, and Nook's inevitable rise into power. It was Redd who spoke first.

"We need to put an end to this," he announced. "We have to get Katrina back, and we need to put an end to this reign of terror."

"For once I agree with you," Sable conceded. "Tom's gotten out of control, and I'm not sure I can placate him any longer. Not while Labelle is around."

Harriet cleared her throat. "I hate to be a pessimist shugs, but how exactly do ya'll propose we overthrow the entire Nook regime?"

"First we sneak in and try to find Katrina," answered Redd. "Then all of us, Adam included, reconvene to put together a plan. We need to hit Nook where it hurts most."

"I think I can help with that," Sable mumbled. "Labelle is Tom's right hand. Taking her out of the picture would put him at a major disadvantage."

Redd nodded. "Good idea. Okay, so we'll change the plan a bit. Harriet and I will look for Katrina. Sable, I want you to go and see Adam. Tell him everything. The two of you can do a basic snatch and grab. If you see Labelle is on her own, grab her. Escape by any means possible. We'll meet back here once we've accomplished our respective missions."

Harriet and Sable stared at Redd. They looked to one another, then back at him. "It sure sounds like you've done something like this before, shug." Harriet observed.

Redd grinned. "Who me? I'm just as innocent as the two of you." He stood, stretching out his limbs. "I think we should sleep for now. No point in running in when we're all exhausted."

Sable nodded her assent. "That's a good idea." She glanced around the modest home. "Is there room for me to sleep somewhere?" she asked shyly.

Redd folded his arms over his chest. "You can take my bed. I'll sleep on the couch," he offered.

"Thank you," replied Sable, her voice thick with appreciation.

Harriet yawned exaggeratedly, "Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay," she looked from Redd to Sable, smiling. "See ya'll in the morning!" She wandered to her room, leaving the two old friends alone in the foyer.

"I really appreciate you letting me stay here," Sable murmured.

"It's no trouble," Redd said dismissively. "I'm just…I'm just glad that you've finally come to your senses about Nook."

Sable's expression grew cloudy. "Redd, let's just drop it. We've got more important things to think about."

Redd frowned but didn't press her. "Alright."

Sable sauntered over to what would be her temporary quarters. She stood in the doorway before leaving Redd to sleep. "I forgot to mention, Timmy found it."

"Found what?" asked Redd.

"The poem."

Redd's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh man,"

"Don't worry," Sable laughed. "I told him Tom wrote it."

"Pfft. As if Nook could be so eloquent," Redd scoffed. "You'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow night is going to be pretty intense."

"I can only imagine," Sable murmured. "Things have been such a blur lately, I don't even know what day it is."

Redd glanced at the calendar. "It's the 26th," he replied.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

_"Good idea. Okay, so we'll change the plan a bit. Harriet and I will look for Katrina. Sable, I want you to go and see Adam. Tell him everything. The two of you can do a basic snatch and grab. If you see Labelle is on her own, grab her. Escape by any means possible. We'll meet back here once we've accomplished our respective missions."_

Hidden in shadows, the figure stood beneath an open window. With baited breath it listened as the fox outlined his evil plans. _How dare he try and upset the sacred balance?_ the figure thought angrily. The biggest surprise came when the queen revealed herself to be a traitor. The spy knew that the king would be most interested to hear about that tidbit of information. Keeping low so as not to be detected, the figure crept through the decorative shrubbery surrounding the small house. Once it had reached the woods, the figure stood upright and raced toward the palace, moving as fast as its paws would take it.

***

Timmy nursed his cup of tea while relaxing on the window seat in his bedchambers. He gazed out at the star studded sky and wondered why his brother had ratted him out to their uncle. Tommy had never been the picture perfect brother, but he'd never gone so far as to put Timmy's life in danger. If anything, Tommy preferred psychological torture to physical threats. Timmy sighed, taking a sip from the mug held between his paws. It had become quite obvious that in all of the chaos that had erupted in the palace recently, Timmy had to fend for himself. He had no one to rely on. His Aunt Sable was nice enough, but he just couldn't bring himself to trust her completely. It was almost as though she was always keeping something hidden. Whether it was an element of her past or present, Timmy wasn't sure.

His uncle was a different story entirely. When Uncle Tom had requested that Timmy assist him at Nookington's, Timmy was ecstatic. He had always looked up to his uncle, and it had seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn as much as possible. In the beginning, Timmy had a ball. He and Tommy would chat with customers and managed to sell them the most expensive of items. Their uncle had been so proud. That was until Tortimer passed away…Ever since, Tom Nook had become a-moral, concerned only with maintaining his choke hold over Requiem. Their village was truly in shambles. Timmy finished the last of his tea and wandered to his bed. Sleep did not come easily that night.

***

"Let me out of here!" she screamed. Katrina did not make for a very good prisoner. From the moment she'd been thrown into her cell she had clawed at the mortar creases in the brick walls until her paws had bled. She knew with absolute certainty that she was being detained in the palace; however, this was not the usual dungeon that prisoners were held captive. When Nook had originally thrown her into the dungeon, there had been a small barred window in each cell that gave prisoners minimal access to the outside world. Her current situation was far more depressing. Not a single moonbeam illuminated her surroundings (she was sure that it was nighttime). The only thing preventing her from being enveloped in total darkness was a torch that hung some forty feet away from her cell. She could barely see her paw when she held it up in front of her face. "ARGH!" she cried out in frustration. "Can't anybody hear me?"

"They can hear you alright," replied a raspy voice to Katrina's left. She nearly jumped out of her fur at the sound. She hadn't expected a response, especially one so close by.

"Who's there?" Katrina called out apprehensively.

"Someone that's currently suffering the same fate as you are. I'm not sure what you did Miss Kitty, but it must have been pretty bad to make his royal highness bury you down in this hole." These last words were dripping with bitterness. Katrina knew for a fact that the voice belonged to a male, though she couldn't quite make out his form. He sat in the corner of his own cell, which Katrina could only estimate was another twenty feet away from her, a total of sixty feet from the torch. Needless to say he was completely shrouded by the shadows.

"How can you possibly know that I'm a cat?" Katrina asked. "I can't even see three feet in front of me."

"I've been down here a long time. You could say that my eyes have adjusted to the darkness." The other prisoner replied. "I'm sure yours will eventually do the same,"

For a moment Katrina felt as though an icy finger glided down her back as a chill ran the length of her spine. _Eventually I'll adjust to the darkness…I'm not sure I want to be here that long…_ she thought fearfully. "You keep referring to this as 'down here'. Where are we exactly?"

"We're in the palace oubliette. It's where they dump you when they want you to be forgotten. Hence the name. Fitting, isn't it?" he explained.

"What did you do to wind up down here?" Katrina asked.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions," the voice snapped. "If you must know, I became somewhat of an inconvenience to the higher ups," he responded. "I was a threat to them, so they put me here. I've got to say, I wish they would have killed me instead."

Katrina opened her mouth to argue but soon realized that she would feel the same way after spending any extended period of time in the pit that they were in. "How long have you been here?" she whispered, unsure as to whether or not she wanted to know the answer.

"Long enough to lose track," he muttered.

A sense of hopelessness seized Katrina. It suddenly became all too clear that she was to spend her remaining days locked away in some forsaken and forgotten dungeon buried deep within the recesses of Nook's palace. She choked back a sob and wiped away at the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. If only her powers could save her. Unfortunately they were of little use to her. After she had composed herself, she continued to question her prison mate.

"I know you don't want to answer anymore questions, but how exactly did you become an inconvenience to the King?" she asked.

"I suppose I have nothing better to do than to answer you," the prisoner sighed. "With a face like mine, I could cause a lot of trouble in Requiem. Especially if anyone were to see me."

"What's wrong with your face?" Katrina was becoming confused. She heard the rustling of stiff fabric and footsteps coming toward her. They stopped once he had reached the end of his cell. Katrina could now just make out his silhouette.

"There's nothing really wrong with it," the prisoner chortled. "More like…something unsettling about it." A snap and fizzling sound echoed through the dungeon as he struck a match against a rusted metal bar. He held the match up to his face. Katrina gasped.

"Oh…Oh my…it can't be…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16**

Queen Sable took a deep breath and entered the palace. She reached up with both paws and pushed back the hood of the cloak she'd been wearing. She walked hurriedly down the main corridor, her footsteps echoing through the immense hallway. She turned a corner and entered the dining hall. Sable had hoped that Adam was still occupied with cleaning off the table from that morning's breakfast. Most breakfasts at the palace were immense and therefore required hours of tidying up. Unfortunately, the dining room was vacant. Normally Sable would have attributed the dining hall's emptiness to the efficiency of the royal staff; however, it was quite obvious that the kitchen staff had yet to perform their cleaning duties. The table was still covered in food. _That's odd,_ Sable thought offhandedly. She unfastened her cloak and draped it over one of the chairs. Sable briefly reflected on her own breakfast that morning with Redd and Harriet. Instead of the typical stilted conversations she had with Tom, Sable had enjoyed the boisterous company of the poodle and fox. Sable had been involved with the preparation of their breakfast and was immediately filled with a sense of pride at having accomplished something without the help of servants. She blinked, snapping back to the present time. _I have to find Adam._

"Adam?" she called out hesitantly. When she didn't receive a response, Sable wandered to the kitchen, hoping to get some information from Franklin, their royal cook. When she pushed open the swinging doors and entered the kitchen she was immediately met with the most fowl odour she'd ever encountered. The pungent coppery stench wafted over to her nostrils. Sable's breakfast leapt from her stomach straight to the back of her throat. With a great deal of effort she swallowed back the urge to vomit. As she approached the central kitchen island the smell became more intense. With great apprehension she peaked over the counter. Her breath caught in her throat and she choked back a scream. Before her, lying in a crumpled heap of feathers and viscous crimson fluid, was Franklin. Sable's paw flew to her mouth in terror. Her eyes bulged from their sockets as she took in the sheer carnage of the scene before her. Lying on the floor was a butcher knife. She bent down and grasped it in her left paw, still processing what might have occurred. She let out a startled cry as a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Queen Sable?"

Sable spun on her heel and came face to face with a sombre looking Copper. She immediately dropped the knife and held up her hands. "It-it wasn't me!" she sputtered.

Copper's eyes widened as he saw Franklin's lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor behind her. Without hesitation he reached for his rapier. He pointed it towards Sable. "Your majesty, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you into the dungeon for questioning."

"B-but Copper, I've only just arrived! There's no way I could've perpetrated this…heinous crime!" Sable stammered. She knew Copper to be a rational dog. He was the one member of Nook's guards whose judgement and objectivity she trusted.

Copper shook his head, "I'm sorry, majesty. The law requires me to bring you in for questioning. You are not under arrest at this time, however."

Sable sighed. "If you must; but please put down the sword. I'll come peacefully."

Copper let out a sigh of relief. He knew that the queen would not want to draw attention to herself as he escorted her to the dungeon, and he had hoped that she'd use her better judgement in dealing with this impossible situation. He sheathed his weapon and grasped her arm. "This way, Queen Sable." Having run out of options, Sable followed the guard out of the kitchen and toward the one section of the palace she never thought she'd have the misfortune of seeing: The dungeon.

***

"Were you seen?" asked Labelle. The figure shook its head. "Good," Labelle stood from her chair. She and her spy had convened to her chambers to discuss the day's hectic events.

"All signs will point to the queen," the figure rasped. "I left the proper evidence in place. There will be no question as to who disposed of the cook."

Labelle grinned, quite pleased at the results. If all went according to plan, Sable would be found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, thereby stripping her of her position as queen. Leaving the spot open for Labelle. "Perfect," Labelle murmured, her voice seething with venom.

"What about that despicable fox?" the figure spat.

Labelle shrugged her shoulders. "You told me of his plan. We will simply keep watch over Katrina's cell. Once he and that idiotic poodle attempt to rescue her, our guards will seize them and haul them in. If anything horrible happens to the two of them in the process…" Labelle smiled wickedly. "You have served me well, and your actions will not go unnoticed."

"Thank you," the figure said humbly.

"I'm so close I can almost taste it," Labelle whispered. "The crown, the palace, the kingdom. Soon all of it will be mine. And anyone who dares stand in my way shall be punished severely. All of the Nookists now follow my orders. With each passing day the king is becoming less and less powerful. Soon the term Nookist will give way to a new name: Labellist." Labelle reached into her sleeve and extracted a beautiful silk armband. It was a deep shade of cobalt. Embroidered upon it in delicate gold thread was one letter: L. She handed the armband to the figure. "Wear this from now on. We are at the dawning of a new age."

The figure nodded and wrapped the silk around its bicep. Labelle's heart swelled with pride at the sight.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17**

Sable sighed. She placed her head in her hands. She was weak with exhaustion. Copper had been questioning her in one of the interrogation rooms for what seemed like hours.

"I know this is difficult your majesty, but if we could go over your story once more?" Copper asked, a pencil poised above the notepad he'd been writing in.

Sable looked up at the guard dog. It was obvious that he was not pleased to be in a scenario that required him to question the queen about her implication in a murder investigation. She nodded wearily. "Alright. I entered the palace this morning and immediately headed for the dining hall. I had a matter to discuss with Adam, the chef's aide."

Copper scribbled a few notes. "Why weren't you present for breakfast this morning?"

Sable frowned. "I wasn't hungry and had decided to go for a walk around the palace grounds."

"Did you see anyone?" Copper inquired.

"No. It was relatively quiet, save a few birds in the trees," Sable replied. She was beginning to see where this line of questioning was headed. Sable lacked an alibi. She couldn't reveal that during the time of the murder she'd been on her way back from seeing Redd. The very notion could be construed as treason.

Copper glanced down at his notes, "you mentioned that you needed to discuss something with Adam. What was it that you needed to discuss?"

Sable's body immediately stiffened. "I don't think that it's any of your concern," she replied curtly.

Copper frowned, tapping his pencil against the small notepad. "With all due respect, your majesty, anything involving this murder concerns me."

Sable slumped back in her chair. Arguing with Copper was futile. A dull throb had begun to pulse behind her eyes and she was famished. "Fine," she whispered in defeat. "I'll tell you where I was." Copper's ears perked up. "I was with Harriet and Redd,"

Copper's eyes widened, "Your highness, you were with that…that filthy merchant?"

"He's not filthy!" Sable snapped. "He's only trying to make a living in an impossible situation."

Copper eyed Sable, "I apologize. Could you please explain why you were fraternizing with Redd?" His voice had suddenly taken on a cold tone. It was apparent that Copper was not on good terms with the infamous fox.

Sable opened her mouth to respond. She'd barely uttered a word when suddenly Copper's mouth dropped open in surprise. He fell forward, his head landing on the interrogation table with a thud. Behind him stood a short figure dressed in a brown cloak. Sable's eyes grew wide with terror as the cloaked figure brought the club down upon her with lightning speed. A sharp pain lanced through her skull and everything went dark.

***

Timmy wandered the halls of the palace. He knew something bad was about to happen, but he had no idea what this 'bad thing' could be. He entered the dining hall. He was almost immediately met with the pungent stench that had fallen over the room. His paw flew to his nose and he covered his muzzle. With his ears flat against his head, he headed toward the kitchen. With his free paw he pushed at the kitchen door. It was locked. Timmy sighed exasperatedly and pounded on the door. "Hey!" he shouted. "Is anyone there?" He heard the distinct sound of a lock being disengaged and the door swung open. Booker stood in the doorway, obstructing Timmy's view of the kitchen.

"Uhm. Yes? What can I do for you?" asked Booker. His hooded eyes looked as bleary as ever as he took in the small raccoon standing before him.

"What's that smell?" asked Timmy. He stood up on his tippy-toes in a vain attempt at seeing over Booker's shoulders.

"Oh, that's uh the cook. He's not feeling too well," Booker replied. "You're not allowed in here."

Timmy raised an eyebrow. "Why not? I'm sure that Franklin lets folks into his kitchen even if he's not feeling well."

"It's not that he uhm, isn't feeling well…He's dead," Booker mumbled.

"Dead?!" Timmy sputtered. "How can he be dead? He was fine this morning!"

"I don't really know, but the queen is being questioned as a suspect…I think…" Booker replied.

"Aunt Sable…a suspect?" Timmy backed away from the kitchen. "It's not possible!" Timmy spun on his heel and raced from the dining hall. Tears began to well up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He stumbled up the stairs toward his uncle's room. _Uncle Tom will know what to do. He knows Aunt Sable would never do anything like this!_ his thoughts raced as he frantically made his way down to hallway. He finally found himself on the outside of his uncle's bedroom door. He brought back a fist, making to bang on the door, when he noticed that it was slightly ajar. _What the…_ Timmy gently pushed the door in, revealing his uncle's room in it's entirety.

A cloaked figure stood at the edge of his uncle's four poster bed. Atop the sheets lay an unconscious Aunt Sable. Timmy stepped into the room, his mouth agape. "What did you do to my aunt?" he cried out.

The figures head snapped up and shifted it's gaze toward Timmy. Timmy gasped, his eyes darting from the face now only partially covered by the cloak, and the armband with the emblazoned "L" wrapped around the figure's bicep.

"What are you doing?" Timmy hissed. "Why would you kidnap her?"

The figure remained silent.

Timmy's anger began to boil up inside of him, threatening to burst at any moment. His paws clenching and releasing at his sides as he returned the figures baleful gaze. "Answer me this instant Tommy! What are you doing to our aunt?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18**

Redd knelt beside one of the small basement windows in Nook's castle. According to Sable, these windows were ancient and had yet to be equipped with locking mechanisms. As a result, people could enter and exit the castle undetected. Redd wondered idly if these windows were actually installed to allow Nook to travel out of the palace at his leisure. Regardless of the reasoning, Redd would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Making as little noise as possible he reached out with a paw, pushing the window inward.

"Is that the way in?" whispered Harriet. Redd nearly leapt out of his skin at the sudden sound of her voice. He had almost forgotten that she was behind him. He turned toward her, his free paw pressed to his lips in admonishment. He nodded in response and returned his attention to the window. Redd wasn't entirely sure how far the drop was between the window and the floor, but he thought the best course of action would be to lower Harriet to the ground, rather than have either one of them leap down blindly. He motioned for Harriet to move in front of him. He nodded his head toward the window and mimicked lowering her into the palace. Harriet shook her head vehemently. Redd scowled and rolled his eyes. Their exchange was entirely silent, but in the end Harriet relented and shimmied her way into the opening. She took hold of Redd's paws and he lowered her into the basement. Harriet descended approximately four feet when she realized that Redd had reached his limit. He could lower her no further. Her legs dangled in mid air, desperately seeking purchase on the stone wall in front of her.

"You're just going to have to drop!" Redd whispered.

"Are you crazy?!" Harriet hissed incredulously. She knew of course that she had no other choice. Reluctantly, she took a deep breath, let go of Redd's paws, and prayed for a soft landing. She didn't drop far, a mere five feet perhaps. "I'm okay," she whispered up to Redd. "I'm pretty sure you can get down on your own." No sooner had she uttered the words, she heard a soft grunt as Redd landed next to her.

The room that they had landed in was devoid of light. It was a wonder that Redd hadn't landed on top of Harriet when he entered through the window. Redd rummaged through the bag he had brought with him. Eventually his paw found what he'd been searching for: a flashlight. He clicked the switch and a beam of light cut through the darkness. As he swung the flashlight from left to right it became apparent that they had landed in some sort of ammunitions room. Much to Redd's dismay, the room contained no weapons. Only barrels of gunpowder and boxes of magazines were stocked upon the ground and shelves. Directly ahead of them was a large wooden door. They approached it silently, taking heed not to trip over any of the crates of ammo littering the floor. Redd reached out with a paw and twisted the doorknob. As luck would have it, the door had not been locked. He looked back at Harriet and motioned for her to be as quiet as possible. He switched off the flashlight and with a slow but steady paw he carefully inched open the door. The corridor that the door opened up into was just as black as the room they'd been in. Switching the flashlight on once again, Redd and Harriet followed the path of the hallway. They soon reached a downward staircase.

"I'm guessing that leads to the dungeon," Harriet murmured.

"As far as I can remember, yes it does," Redd replied. The duo descended the stone stairs, the pads of their feet making little to no sound. "It's not usually this quiet, though."

"Maybe everyone's asleep?" Harriet suggested.

"Somehow I doubt it," Redd muttered. They reached the bottom and Redd quickly switched the flashlight off. Directly ahead of them, past the cells that lined each side of the wall, was a room that was brightly lit. The door stood open. "That's odd," Redd observed. "Katrina should be in one of these cells," Redd whispered. "There might be someone in that room up ahead, so try and stay quiet." Harriet nodded and they both set off on either side in search of Katrina's cell. The room at the end of the hall provided them with enough light to peer into each cell. It wasn't long before they reached the end of the hallway. Harriet shrugged, indicating that she hadn't found any trace of the missing feline. Redd frowned. His eyelids clamped down in an attempt to gather his thoughts. _Come on think! Where would they take her? If not the dungeon, then where?_ A sudden chill crawled the length of his spine. Redd had heard horror stories of a private dungeon that Nook kept cordoned off from the rest of the palace. Somewhere he kept the most dangerous of his foes. While he had been a prisoner, the guards had constantly taunted and threatened Redd that he himself would be tossed into this alleged hole. What had they called it? An oobilee? He was about to signal Harriet to follow him back down the hall toward the staircase when he heard her gasp. He jerked toward her and saw that she had made her way toward the lit room. He moved toward her and followed her gaze.

Inside the room was a small wooden table. Redd recognised it to be the interrogation room almost immediately. What he hadn't banked on was Copper's crumpled form sprawled across the table. Redd bolted toward the guard and checked for a pulse. He let loose a sigh of relief when he found that Copper's pulse was strong and steady. From what he could tell, Copper had been hit on the back of the head. Judging by the large lump that protruded from his skull, Redd gauged that he'd be unconscious for a while.

"Something rotten is going on here," Redd mumbled. "First things first. We have to find Katrina, and I think I may know where she is."

"Where?" asked Harriet.

"She's in the oobilee. It's this super secluded dungeon where Nook keeps all of his worst enemies," he replied.

"You mean an oubliette, shug. Where is it exactly?"

"That's the problem, I have no clue. It has to be around here somewhere. In the meantime, I'm not going anywhere without some protection," Redd reached toward Copper's unconscious form and took hold of the rapier sheathed in his belt. "This should do nicely," he muttered. "Now let's go find Katrina."

***

She saw everything. She saw the death of the cook; the queen's interrogation; the assault on the guard; the queen's capture and finally, Redd and Harriet's discovery of the unconscious guard. She knew that they had come in search of her. There had to be a way for her to alert them of her location, yet she had no idea where she was in correlation with where _they_ were. Katrina turned toward her fellow captive.

"Do you know where we are in the castle?" she asked.

"I already told you, we're in the - "

"Yes, I know the name of this place, but where are we exactly? Are we near the other dungeon?" she was becoming increasingly impatient.

"You could say that," the prisoner replied. "We're right below it."

Katrina's ears perked up. "Right below it?" her mind raced at the implications. _Maybe they'll be able to hear me…_ "HELP! I'M DOWN HERE!" she screamed.

"Why are you wasting your breath?" the prisoner asked wearily. "No one is going to hear you."

Katrina rolled her eyes. "You know what, prison life has made you incredibly bitter," she continued to scream at the top of her lungs. With any luck, Redd and Harriet would be able to hear her and get her out. She screamed for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually she gave up.

"I told you so," the prisoner said in a snarky voice.

Katrina cried out in frustration, banging her paws against the stone wall of her cell. _I'm never getting out of here…_

"KATRINA?! IS THAT YOU?!" the voice echoed through the dungeon.

For the first time in days, Katrina's heart swelled with hope. She never thought that she'd be happy to hear the voice of that wretched fox.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19**

Tommy's eyes narrowed. He took a menacing step toward his brother, his paws curling into fists. "Back off Timmy, this has nuthin' to do with you!"

Timmy glanced from his brother to his aunt lying unconscious on the bed. "What are you talking about? She's supposed to be with Copper! Why is she here with you?"

"She needs to be put in her place. Queen Labelle wishes to see her disposed of," Tommy replied.

"Are you nuts?!" Timmy exclaimed. "Labelle isn't the queen, Aunt Sable is."

Tommy scowled, his jaw clenching in frustration. "Sable's time as queen is over," he said through gritted teeth. "Lady Labelle is the future. If you can't see that, then you'll have to be put down with the other traitors."

Timmy took a step backward. "I don't like the way you're talking, Tommy. You're starting to freak me out." He cast another worried glance at Sable. "Why would Uncle Tom allow Labelle to be queen?"

"Tom Nook is as useless as ever," Tommy spat. "He's nothing but a pawn, a figurehead for Lady Labelle."

"That's insane," Timmy shot back. "Seriously Tommy, saying things like that could land you in big trouble. You know Uncle Tom doesn't take kindly to anyone making fun of him."

Tommy snorted, taking another step toward Timmy. "Please. He doesn't scare me. I have protection from the likes of him." His arms shot out, shoving Timmy against the wall. "Too bad you can't say the same."

Timmy squirmed beneath his brother's viselike grip. He shimmied his shoulders to and fro, twisting free of Tommy's hold. "You're even dumber than I thought," he said.

With a loud snarl Tommy brought back his paw, his eyes zeroing in on the intended target: Timmy's snout. At the last possible moment, Timmy slid to the ground and Tommy's paw hammered against the wall, a sickening crack emanating in its wake. Tommy howled in pain as Timmy rolled between his brother's hind legs, securing himself behind the now wounded raccoon. Tommy spun around, eyes wide with rage, nostrils flaring. He held his injured paw against his chest, small rivulets of red dripping from his fur. "You….You…" he stammered, his wrath rendering him speechless.

Timmy knew in that instant that his brother had snapped. The sanity that Tommy had once clung to was now sliding from his grasp. Timmy cursed Labelle for taking advantage of his brother's lack of intelligence, using his malleable mind to further her own ambitions. As he watched Tommy seething with hatred, Timmy knew that his chances for escape were remote. There was no possible way he could fight his twin brother, for Tommy could easily over power him. His only hope for survival was in outwitting the crazy young raccoon.

"Tommy, listen to me. You're not yourself right now. Look at what you've done to Aunt Sable!" Timmy shouted at his brother. "She has done nothing but love and care for us. Why would you ever want to hurt her?!"

Tommy faltered in his advancement on Timmy. He glanced at his unconscious aunt, a pang of guilt shooting through his heart. He shook off the feeling and shifted his attention back to his brother. With renewed conviction he sprang forward, his paws wrapping around Timmy's neck. The sheer force of his brother colliding into him sent Timmy flying into the wall. He choked out a yelp as his breath was knocked out of him. With mounting terror he realized Tommy's intentions. Timmy grabbed hold of Tommy's arms, clawing at his brother in an attempt to break free of his deadly, viselike grip. Timmy's eyes began to water as the pressure in his head mounted. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. Black spots began to materialize in the corners of his line of sight, clouding his vision. "Urg…Tch…" Timmy's gazed pleadingly with his brother's, but upon seeing the expression in Tommy's eyes, he realized that the raccoon was completely void of emotion. Timmy's hands fell to his sides and he could feel his consciousness slipping away as the room grew darker with each passing second. Through his stupor he heard a muffled thump. A cold, sharp burst of air suddenly filled Timmy's lungs. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, he gulped at the air hungrily, coughing as his esophagus burned from the assault. Slowly but surely his vision cleared. Standing above him, with a frying pan held in his hands, was Adam. Tommy lay sprawled at his feet, unmoving. Timmy propped himself up on his elbows, staring wearily at Adam. "Wha-Where-?"

Adam lowered the frying pan. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I just had to stop him from killing you too. He already went crazy on Franklin."

Timmy glanced at his brother. "Is he…?"

Adam shook his head. "He's not dead. But he'll have a wicked headache when he comes to."

Timmy shook his head, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "How did you know we'd be here?"

"I was there when he killed Franklin. I was hiding in the pantry. Franklin saw him coming and basically threw me in there. I watched Tommy…" Adam trailed off. Tears began to fill his eyes and spilled forth, trickling down his cheeks. His breath hitched in his chest as he continued. "I wanted to help him, but Tommy had snapped. I know that if I'd tried anything, he would have killed me too. So I waited…When it was over with I followed Tommy. I saw him kidnap Queen Sable and bring her up here. I was about to come in when I saw you go in after him. I wasn't sure what side you were on until I heard Tommy try to kill you. I decided it was about time I intervened," he waved the frying pan in front of him. "Luckily I came prepared."

"Thank goodness for that," Timmy remarked. "I thought I was a goner." He suddenly registered Adam's remark about Sable. "Aunt Sable!" he leapt to his feet, rushing over to the bedside. He gazed down at his aunt. She was breathing steadily, her face giving the impression that she was slumbering peacefully. Timmy reached down, brushing a stray quill from her forehead. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open.

"Timmy? What…What happened?" Sable asked. She moved to get up, but Timmy stopped her.

"Don't get up just yet. You were hit over the head pretty badly, and you might have a concussion."

Sable slumped back into the bed. She reached up, rubbing a paw against the back of her head. She felt a large lump and winced. "You're right, but I don't think I'm concussed. I do feel a bit woozy though. Who hit me?" her gaze shifted first to Adam then to Tommy, who still lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. "Tommy!" she cried.

"Tommy is the one that hit you," Adam said. "He also killed Franklin."

Sable began shaking her head frantically. "No…it can't be! He would never do such a thing!" she said incredulously.

"I'm afraid Adam's right," Timmy confirmed sadly. "Labelle has turned Tommy into a complete monster. He is so messed up right now, he thinks we're all the enemy, and that Labelle will be the next queen of Requiem."

Sable's eyes widened. "What? But…why would he let himself be swayed so easily?"

Timmy shrugged. "I can only venture a guess…and that guess would be that Labelle showered him with the love and attention Uncle Tom never gave us upon becoming king. Tommy and Uncle Tom used to be really close. That is until he became the king, then it was almost as though he completely forgot about Tommy. I guess I never realized just how much it affected him until now. I should have known…" Timmy frowned. He felt as though he had failed his brother. Despite his innate ability to sketch the future, he was unable to read his brother's true feelings.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20**

Redd glanced around the hallway. "I need rope," he mumbled irritably. He shook his head from side to side, searching the barren hall for something he could use to lower himself into the oubliette. He nearly leapt out of his fur when Harriet tapped him on the shoulder.

"Over there, shug," she grinned, pointing the wall on his left. Redd zeroed in on what seemed to be a large lever. "Good eye," he commended. Without a moment's hesitation, he hustled over to the lever. Placing both paws around the handle, he began to pull it downward. It was a Herculean task, one that required the assistance of his partner. Redd shot Harriet a glance and she was almost immediately by his side. Together they pulled down on the rusty lever. Inch by excruciating inch the lever began to fall, until finally they had managed to pull it to its full downward position. At first nothing happened. All that was heard throughout the hall was the pair's labored breath. Suddenly a loud metallic groan erupted beneath them. They spun 180 degrees, once again facing the opening to the oubliette. The loud noise was obviously coming from the dungeon below. They raced over and, much to their surprise, watched as a flight of metal stairs slowly began to rise before them. The stairs had been hidden beneath the ground and the lever clearly acted as a mechanism to allow the guards to move in and out of the oubliette.

"Oh thank goodness!" they heard a voice cry out. "I'm down here!"

"That's gotta be Katrina," Redd said to Harriet.

Harriet nodded in reply. "We'd best go down and get her. She must be terrified!"

Redd placed one paw on the handle of his (well, Copper's) sheathed rapier. He was prepared for a confrontation. In the other hand he held the flashlight. He and Harriet began to slowly descend the steps. With each stair they hazarded a glance behind them to ensure that they weren't being followed. The metal creaked beneath their feet, causing Redd to question their sturdiness. Finally they reached the bottom. Both Redd and Harriet spun in a complete circle and took in their surroundings. The oubliette was like something out of a nightmare. Redd's flashlight slid over the interior of the dungeon. The cement walls were completely bare, save for their only adornment: metal restraints that hung in two meter increments. The floor beneath them was cracked and black mold had begun to spring up within the small niches. Redd shook his head in bewilderment. _How could anyone be made to suffer down here?_ he thought. _Can Nook be that evil?_ A shrill voice snapped him from his contemplation.

"Hurry please!" cried out Katrina. "The keys are over there, hanging on the wall."

Redd nodded and dashed over to the keys. He returned to Katrina's cell and began to fumble with the old fashioned lock. She watched with growing anticipation as the fox at last slid the proper key into the hole. He turned it in the lock. A loud click echoed through the dungeon and Katrina's door swung open. She collapsed into Redd's arms, weak from days of starvation and exhaustion. He slung her arm over his shoulders and led her toward the stairs.

"Wait!" Katrina cried. "We have to free him too!"

"Who?" Redd asked, glancing behind the feline and the cell adjacent to hers.

"I believe she's referring to me," a raspy yet slightly high pitched voice replied.

Harriet stepped over to Redd and took Katrina into her arms, allowing the cat to lean on her for support. Meanwhile, Redd wandered over to the cell that housed the unknown prisoner, his flashlight shining into the surrounding area. The prisoner sat in the corner of his cell, his head lowered and turned away from the light.

"And just who are you?" Redd asked. "You might actually deserve to be down here."

"I can't stand the light," the prisoner rasped. "After so many years of darkness, my eyes can't take it." A brown furry paw came up, shielding the prisoner's eyes. Redd pointed the flashlight toward the ground.

"Okay then," Redd muttered. "Who are you, and why should we let you go?"

"I might be of some use to you," came the prisoner's reply. "In fact, I know I'll be of use."

"And just what makes you so darn useful?" Redd snapped.

"My pretty face," the prisoner sneered, though Redd couldn't see the expression, he could hear it in his voice.

"Your face?" Redd frowned. "What's so great about your face?"

Redd heard the prisoner stand and scurry over to him. Redd inhaled sharply when he realized that within seconds the creepy prisoner had managed to close the gap between them. The hand holding his flashlight began to shake as he felt this unknown creature's hot, fetid breath against his face. "Why don't you take a closer look?" the prisoner challenged. Red swallowed audibly and slowly brought up the flashlight. The beam traced the round curve of the prisoner's belly, pausing momentarily on the tail. At that sight Redd's heart nearly leapt into his throat. _No way!_ he thought. At last the beam lit up the prisoner's face. Coal eyes gleamed at Redd as the realization of this prisoner's identity dawned on him. Redd's mind was sent reeling.

"How can this be?" Redd whispered incredulously.

***

"How can this be?" Labelle hissed. "You let them escape?"

Tommy's head hung in shame. Small rivulets of crimson dripped from his fur. "I'm sorry my queen, the human took me by surprise."

"That's no excuse!" she snapped. "Must I do everything myself?" Labelle began to pace the length of Sabel's bed chamber where she's found an unconscious Tommy. She ran a paw through her well kept quills and contemplated her next course of action. An idea came to her and a slow smile crept upon her lips. "All is not lost," she murmured. "It's quite obvious that the three of them will be looking for me, and no doubt that filthy fox is trying to rescue the fortune teller. All I need to do is lure Sabel, Timmy and the human to the oubliette. Once there, we can find a way of locking them all in and leave them there to rot. I'm through playing these games. I'll go to my bedchambers and pretend to surrender. I'll then reveal to them where Katrina is. I need you to lay in wait. Once we all arrive you must find a way of getting them all into the oubliette. You cannot fail this time! Oh, and one more thing. Bring our…friend with you."

Tommy nodded, "I won't let you down again!" he promised. "They will pay for the trouble that they've caused. Especially Timmy. I intend to make him suffer the most."

***

"How long do we have to wait here?" Adam whispered.

"However long it takes for Labelle to show up," Sabel hissed. "Now be quiet, she might hear you!"

"My leg is falling asleep," Timmy groaned. The three of them were hidden in Labelle's chambers behind her lavish bed. They were crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce the moment she entered.

"It won't be much longer," Sabel whispered. "Once she realizes that Tommy messed up, she'll probably come running in here to hide." Sabel's breath hitched when she heard the knob to the chamber door begin to turn. She nodded to both Adam and Timmy, signaling them to ready themselves for attack. The door swung open and Labelle swept in. As she turned to close the door behind her, Adam leapt from his hiding spot. In just three quick strides he was upon her. He placed a hand over her mouth to keep her from crying out for help. With his free hand he held her arms behind her back. "Don't move," he hissed into her ear.

Sabel and Timmy ran to Adam's side. Sabel tied Labelle's paws together. Adam removed his hand from Labelle's mouth. "Where is Katrina?" Sabel demanded.

"I'll tell you, but please don't hurt me!" Labelle pleaded.

"If you cooperate, I promise that no harm will befall you. At least not yet." Sabel replied.

Labelle let out a sigh of relief. "Very well, follow me…" She turned and led them from her bed chambers. The three heroes were not able to see the malevolent grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

Redd took a step back from the cell, his typically narrowed eyes were wide with surprise.

"Nook?! What on Earth are you doing down here?" he choked out.

Tom Nook stood in the miniscule prison cell. His fur was matted with grime, and his normally robust frame was considerably smaller from malnourishment. He held out a grizzled paw, circling one of the bars of his cell. "I've been down here since Tortimer passed away," he rasped. "In the dead of the night I was kidnapped from my home and taken to this wretched place,"

"But how is this even possible?" Redd sputtered. "You've been ruling Requiem ever since Tortimer died."

"That's not really Nook," Katrina piped in. "It has to be an imposter."

Harriet's head shook back and forth. "This is all just too much, shug."

Redd frowned. "How do we know he's telling the truth? This could all be a trap!"

"Look at me!" Nook snapped. "I look like I've been attacked by a swarm of mole crickets! When was the last time you saw the other "Nook"? How could I manage such a big change in such a short time? And for what purpose?"

Redd sighed. He couldn't in good conscience leave the raccoon behind. He unlocked the cell. Nook nodded gratefully. "Now let's get out of here!"

The four climbed the stairs of the oubliette. When they reached the top they were greeted by Sabel, Timmy and Adam with Labelle in tow.

"Sabel! Adam! Timmy! You're all alright!" Harriet exclaimed. She rushed forward, throwing her arms around Sabel's shoulders.

Redd shot a glance in Labelle's direction. "I think maybe she deserves to go down there," he said, pointing to the entrance of the oubliette.

Labelle chuckled. "I don't think so. Tommy! Nookie! Where are you?"

A pair of arms appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, pulling Katrina into a viselike grip. She let out a mewl of surprise. "What - "

Redd turned to find the fortune teller securely held in the arms of Tom Nook. However, this was not the Nook he had freed from the oubliette. This Nook was the king he was accustomed to seeing day in and day out. The considerably scruffier Nook was being restrained by Tommy. "Let them go!" Redd shouted. He unsheathed his rapier, holding it out menacingly.

"First you must release Lady Labelle," Tommy ordered. "If you don't, we'll toss both Katrina and the ugly raccoon down into the oubliette; and I doubt they'd survive the fall."

Redd clenched his jaw angrily. He motioned toward Adam, who shoved Labelle forward. Redd clamped his paw around Labelle's arm. "Alright, when I count to three, we release them. One…two…three!" Redd relinquished his grip on Labelle, who immediately shot forward. Tommy and the Nook imposter did not make good on their promise. They continued to hold both Katrina and Nook captive.

"Fools," Labelle spat, wriggling free of the ropes that restrained her wrists. "Did you actually expect us to comply? Now make your way into the oubliette, or we really will toss these two in."

Adam and Timmy glanced at each other in defeat. They took a step toward the pit. Just then, Tommy let loose a yowl of pain. The emaciated Nook had stomped down hard on his nephew's foot. The young raccoon fell backward onto his rear, clutching his hind paw.

"You idiot!" Labelle snapped. She grabbed Katrina from the imposter's grasp. "Get him!" she commanded. The imposter nodded and leapt forward. Just as he was about to descend upon the frail Nook, Redd stepped between the two, his rapier extended. The fox swung the sword in an upward arch, making direct contact with his assailant. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the hall. The imposter fell to the ground, sparks flying from his chest. "Nooooo!" Labelle screamed. She fell to the ground next to the motionless imposter, cradling her face in her hands. Redd stood above them, his paw clutched the sword hanging by his side.

"He was a robot?" Harriet asked bewilderedly.

Timmy and Adam rushed forward. They grabbed Tommy, who continued to clutch his wounded paw.

Sabel wandered over to Redd. They watched as Labelle rocked back and forth, weeping. "My creation…" she whispered. "I spent so long….I made you…You were perfect…"

Redd tossed the rapier aside and knelt down. He gingerly lifted Labelle and carried her to a nearby cell. She made no move to fight him. She simply continued to mumble incoherently.


	22. Chapter 22

**Epilogue**

The days that followed went by in a blur. All of the Nookists were sought out and brought to justice. Labelle was sentenced to a life of imprisonment. Tommy and Rosie were both given the help they needed to overcome the traumatic events that led to their uncharacteristic behaviour. Gracie went missing for several days, only to be captured by team of royal guards led by Copper.

Sabel and Nook dissolved the patriarchy and instead put into place a government that would be ruled by the citizens. A calm had settled upon Requiem; one that was certainly well deserved.

One rainy afternoon Redd, Sabel, Adam, Harriet, Katrina, Timmy and Nook stood in the town's cemetery. They circled the grave of their beloved friend that they'd laid to rest, Franklin.

"He was a great cook," Adam murmured. "He taught me so much."

Sabel nodded. "I think it's safe to say that the consumption of turkey will be outlawed in Requiem. Franklin would have appreciated that."

Next to Franklin's tombstone was yet another grave marking. One for a particular robot. The epitaph read:

_Here Lies His Majesty Tom Nook (Robot)_

_He Died For His Country_

_He Died For His Dream_

_He Died For His Nephews_

_He Died For His Regime_

_May He Rest In Peace_

**The End**


End file.
